Senior Reporter
Criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad says the absence of the Police Commissioner is a non-issue as the police service remains with capable leadership.
The issue arose after People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman Marvin Gonzales, speaking to reporters after the PNM General Council at Balisier House on Saturday, said he had received information that Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro had left the jurisdiction and that the Police Service Commission had not appointed an acting commissioner.
“I want to ask the Minister of Homeland Security, where is the Commissioner of Police? Is the Commissioner of Police in the jurisdiction? When did the Commissioner of Police leave the jurisdiction? And who was appointed an acting Commissioner of Police if the Commissioner of Police left this jurisdiction?”
Gonzales said the issue raised questions for both Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who chairs the National Security Council.
Guardian Media confirmed from police sources that Commissioner Guevarro took a few days of emergency leave and is likely out of the country. In the interim, DCP Junior Benjamin, as the most senior deputy, would oversee the police service.
Benjamin told Guardian Media on Saturday that he did not want to say when Guevarro would return or why he was unable to perform his duties, saying the Commissioner had requested emergency leave.
Asked about Guevarro’s absence yesterday, Seepersad dismissed the issue altogether.
“The Commissioner being out of the country without necessarily specifying to the public who is in charge is really a non-issue because there’s a very clear structure chain of command when you look at the Division One officers. So, it means that there will be a second and a third in line. So, for instance, the Commissioner has several assistant commissioners of police who would assist their deputy commissioners of police, their divisional commanders, et cetera.”
In an interview with another media house yesterday, Benjamin said the TTPS continues to function as a team and maintained that Guevarro remains the Commissioner.
Benjamin said he assumed the headship role from August 13.
Meanwhile, former police commissioner Gary Griffith says the current situation calls for a change in legislation. He said it is ridiculous that to appoint an acting police commissioner, the matter must be debated in Parliament.
“If you do not have a Commissioner of Police for a day, for weeks or whatever, it means that there’s going to be a void in leadership. You’re talking about a lot of different things as it pertains to directions and operation and so forth. So any time that this Commissioner of Police, if he’s not in the country, it has not gone to Parliament? The law must be changed. It is as simple as transferring the authority to the Police Service Commission.”
He added that despite what Benjamin said, it could not be that a senior officer leads the police service in Guevarro’s stead, saying all three deputies are the same rank and no one is more senior to the other.
He said at present, the police service has no leader.
In October last year, parliament re-convened specifically to allow Benjamin to act in the office of commissioner of police, while Guevarro attended the International Association of Chiefs of police annual conference and exposition in Denver, Colorado. He was absent from the country from October 16 to October 22.
In 2021, after Griffith’s three-year contract ended, there was a legal battle over his acting appointment while the PSC deliberated on his replacement. After the court mandated that only Parliament could appoint an acting police commissioner, then national security minister Fitzgerald Hinds said then DCP Mc Donald Jacob would lead the police service, “by virtue of his being the most senior police officer.”
Guardian Media called and messaged Alexander as well as PSC chair Dr Wendell Wallace to get a comment on this issue, however, up to press time there was no response.
