Senior Reporter
Tobago will have a new police commander from Monday, just days after the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) revealed the island is the only police division recording an increase in Serious Reported Crime this year.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anand Ramesar confirmed to Guardian Media yesterday that he was appointed on Wednesday to oversee policing in Tobago. He is expected to take up duties less than six weeks before Tobago Carnival, which runs from October 30 to November 1.
Ramesar said the first priority will be engagement.
“My first item on the agenda is to secure engagement with the key stakeholders on the island,” he said.
“From there, I will determine how best to align what is happening in Tobago with the strategic plans of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.”
He plans to meet Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, senior police officers, members of the business community and other stakeholders before deciding on any major changes.
“I know there are issues that may not have been addressed as the community desires, and I want to ensure my input is felt in a positive way and that I can bring value where it is needed,” he said.
Among the areas he has already identified for attention are community relations and gang activity. However, Ramesar stressed that he would not arrive with a predetermined agenda.
“I’m not going to push anything down the throat of those in Tobago,” he said, noting that community partnerships would be critical to both policing and intelligence gathering.
His appointment comes as police grapple with a rising murder toll on the island and a one per cent increase in Serious Reported Crimes between January 1 and this week.
Speaking at a TTPS media briefing on Thursday, ACP Rishi Singh, who has responsibility for the Tobago and Eastern divisions, said Tobago was the only policing division in the country to record an increase in Serious Reported Crimes during the period, although detection rates were also improving.
Yesterday, Ramesar said reducing murders will be among his key priorities.
Rejecting the notion that killings are inevitable, Ramesar said, “We have to reduce it. We have to stop it.”
He intends to meet senior officers and middle managers to review deployment strategies across the island, with increased police visibility and targeted patrols expected to feature prominently.
“Police visibility is going to be a key element for me. Targeted patrols are going to be a key item for me,” he said.
Ramesar also plans to audit existing operations to determine whether they are producing meaningful results.
The assignment comes at a challenging time for Tobago. Earlier this week, Singh said crime on the island was increasingly driven by young people and linked to broader social issues. He also confirmed a rise in murders and Serious Reported Crimes.
Meanwhile, police are moving to establish micro police units at Goodwood and Plymouth.
Ramesar will have limited time to settle into the role before Tobago Carnival, one of the island’s largest annual events.
Although still reviewing the situation, he said planning for the festival is already on his agenda.
“I was only appointed on Wednesday. Yesterday was a holiday, so these are things I am still thinking through and putting on paper,” he said.
His first step will be to assess existing security arrangements and consult those involved in planning.
“I look to ensuring that Tobago remains a very safe place for people to enjoy Carnival,” he said, adding that any gaps identified would be addressed.
“My intention is always to do things better. There’s always room for improvement.”
The posting marks a return to familiar ground for Ramesar, who previously served as Senior Superintendent in charge of the Tobago Division.
A police officer for more than two decades, Ramesar holds a master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. He has also been a prominent figure in police representation, serving three consecutive terms in the leadership of the Police Service Social and Welfare Association between 2010 and 2019. In 2018, he was appointed president of the Caribbean Federation of Police Welfare Associations.
He was promoted to ACP on September 12, 2024, as part of a group of eight officers elevated to the rank.
