Trinidad’s police are deploying new laser speed detectors and upgraded breathalysers nationwide. The move expands enforcement beyond highways.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Police Service is deploying new laser speed detection devices and upgrading its breathalyser equipment to widen traffic enforcement beyond the nation’s highways, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander told the Senate this week. Alexander was responding to a question from Opposition Senator Melanie Roberts-Radgman, who asked what was being done amid continued reports of serious and fatal road accidents.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is deploying new laser speed detection devices, training additional operators, and procuring supporting equipment,” Alexander told the Senate, adding that the service is also upgrading its breathalyser equipment to strengthen enforcement against driving under the influence. The move builds on the TTPS’s introduction of 20 new LiDAR speed detection devices in May, which were handed over to the Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch to strengthen the service’s ability to detect speeding motorists. Those devices, which include the TruCam II system, allow officers to measure vehicle speeds with high precision from inside parked police vehicles and capture images of registration plates during both day and night, reducing reliance on manually operated speed guns.
Alexander said the latest measures represent only one part of a broader road safety push that will also involve greater use of automated enforcement, telling the Senate, “At this time, we are operating with what we have.” Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro said earlier this year that fatal road traffic accidents had fallen 42% in 2026 compared with the same period the previous year, a decline officials have credited in part to the new enforcement technology. Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour has said the project represents a significant road safety investment nearly two years in development, intended to act as a deterrent to motorists who continue to violate speed limits.
The rollout has not been without criticism. The Service Station Owners’ Association has questioned the cost and procurement transparency of the LiDAR devices, noting that pricing details have not been publicly disclosed, and has also raised concerns about the continued absence of updated national crime statistics on the TTPS website. The association further questioned the long-term effectiveness of fixed and mobile speed enforcement in an era when motorists frequently share real-time enforcement locations through navigation apps and social media.