- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 03:26

Guevarro must speak with courage

THE EDITOR: It is with grave concern that I respond to the recent remarks made by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro at his inaugural press conference, regarding the internal investigation into Deputy Commissioner of Police Suzette Martin. Let us be clear, the commissioner’s statement is riddled with evasive, non-committal language that projects neither confidence nor integrity. His repeated assurances of “transparency” are undermined by a calculated vagueness, strategic ambiguity, and what can only be described as rhetorical abdication of responsibility. This is not transparency. It is obfuscation masquerading as accountability. On his first day in office, Guevarro received a serious allegation from firearms dealer Brent Thomas – who is at the centre of a legal controversy implicating the police service in potentially unlawful cross-border actions. Yet, rather than address this matter with clarity, urgency, or moral leadership, the commissioner chose to engage in institutional hedging. He repeatedly distanced himself from the situation, insisting that disciplinary action “lies solely with the Police Service Commission" (PSC) under section 123 of the Constitution. That is legally correct. But legally correct is not good enough. A commissioner of police must not be reduced to a memo courier. Leadership demands more than administrative compliance; it demands moral clarity and the willingness to act. He had a duty to publicly affirm his expectations of integrity, signal the seriousness of the allegations, and recommend that the deputy commissioner be placed on leave pending the investigation. Instead, the commissioner washed his hands in the style of Pontius Pilate, affirming only that his hands are “clean.” More troubling still is the language used to describe the allegation itself. Guevarro said that “certain acts were carried out” against Thomas, who “felt it was bordering on criminal conduct.” That language is disturbingly euphemistic. It reframes a potentially criminal abuse of police power as a matter of subjective perception. It trivialises the issue and casts doubt upon the complainant while shielding the institution from reputational damage. This is precisely the kind of rhetorical framing that erodes public trust. The people of TT deserve better. We are not asking for prejudgement. We are asking for candour. If the allegations are serious enough to involve a deputy commissioner and require a dedicated investigative team led by an assistant commissioner, then they are serious enough for the public to be told the nature of the complaint. Transparency is not a slogan; it is a practice. One does not become transparent simply by saying “we are transparent.” Moreover, the commissioner failed to provide any timeline for the investigation or any indication of how progress will be reported. This allows the TTPS to fall into the familiar pattern of "active investigations" that never reach conclusion. Public accountability demands procedural clarity and time-bound commitments. Guevarro speaks of a “social contract” between the police and the public. But a contract implies mutual obligation. The public cannot uphold its end – support and co-operation – if the police leadership cannot uphold theirs – truthfulness and moral courage. Rebuilding trust in a damaged institution requires forthrightness, not legalistic retreat. I urge the commissioner to reflect carefully on his language. A nation will not be reassured by rhetorical opacity. The office he holds is not simply administrative – it is symbolic. Every word he utters sets the tone for the culture of the entire force. At a time of institutional crisis, the people of TT do not need a spokesperson for the system. We need a leader. By the way, if he is in doubt, I can provide a forensic breakdown of his weasel words. MOHAN RAMCHARAN Birmingham, England The post Guevarro must speak with courage appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.