Anna-Lisa Paul
Senior Reporter
Newly appointed acting T&T Municipal Police Service (TTMPS) head, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Wayne Mystar, yesterday met with grieving relatives of slain police officer Anuska Eversley in an emotionally charged exchange which left several people in tears.
During the almost two-hour-long meeting at Eversley’s home at Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, ACP Mystar sought to reassure her relatives that thorough investigations would be conducted. He also urged the family to be patient as he said the authorities would leave no stone unturned as they seek to establish the circumstances that led to Eversley’s killing.
He told the officer’s family, “No words can replace what has been taken.”
Speaking afterwards, Mystar said, “This was not a ceremonial visit. It was a necessary one. A police officer has lost her life under circumstances that strike at the core of our duty, our security, and our responsibility as a service.”
Eversley was found dead at the Municipal Police Headquarters, Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando, around 4.40 am on Sunday. Following the discovery of her bloody and battered body, officers were also stunned to find all the arms and ammunition missing from the station’s armoury.
Eversley, 42, was a mother of three children, aged seven, 15 and 18 with over 19 years of service.
Yesterday’s meeting was Mystar’s first public engagement following his installation as the new TTMPS head on Thursday. Mystar, who had been sent on 16 months of accrued vacation leave from the T&T Police Service (TTPS) in September 2025, was recalled from leave before being installed to lead the TTMPS.
Reaffirming his commitment to the job via a statement hours after the meeting, Mystar said he was prepared to embrace the challenges that would come his way.
“I accept this responsibility with a clear understanding of the challenges before us and with an equally clear commitment to restoring stability, strengthening operational effectiveness, and reinforcing the role of Municipal Police in national security.” Outlining a list of the immediate priorities, he said it would include initiating an immediate review of all municipal police security protocols, infrastructure and operational readiness.
“All issues identified will be addressed with urgency and accountability,” he said.
Mystar said he will also focus on the engagement of officers and stakeholders to resolve key issues through structured dialogue, with a view to reviving officer morale, and strengthening the role of the Municipal Police within the national security architecture.
PNM demands CoI
into incident
Mystar has already been called upon to respond to a call by former National Security minister Marvin Gonzales for a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the incident. The People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman yesterday demanded the immediate establishment of an independent CoI to examine a number of issues arising out of the unfortunate tragedy.
Although this situation is unprecedented in T&T’s history, Gonzales claimed, “This incident is not an isolated tragedy. It is a glaring symptom of serious security lapses, internal corruption, and deeply entrenched vulnerabilities in the management, oversight, and operations of key arms of our national security architecture.”
Indicating the situation demanded urgent national attention, accountability and decisive action, Gonzales added, “When a police station can be compromised, when an officer loses her life in the line of duty under such circumstances, and when citizens are left fearful and uncertain, the matter rises beyond routine police investigation.”
Labelling it a “national crisis,” he said, “The citizens of this country deserve answers. The family of the fallen officer deserves justice. Our law enforcement officers deserve safe working conditions. And the nation’s national security architecture deserves urgent reform.”
He placed national security agencies on notice that the PNM would not allow the matter to be covered up.
