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Crime troubleshooter: High hopes for CoP Guevarro

THE NEW Commissioner of Police (CoP) has chalked up an impressive investigative record in tracking down terrorists who left TT to join the fight for ISIS in Syria, dismantling the operations of Chinese narco-traffickers and other transnational criminals, according to top-ranking Special Branch officers. But his record and that of the dedicated team under his command in the intelligence and investigations division are shielded from public view to protect the informants who helped build the cases against those criminals. Many police officers, both senior and junior ranks, were oblivious of Allister Guevarro when his name was listed as the top nominee from the Police Service Commission to come before Parliament for approval as CoP, making history as the first intelligence officer to lead the service. To get a better understanding of the new CoP, Newsday interviewed four former CoPs and three former heads of the Special Branch. Messages sent to current to several other current members of the executive did not yield any response. [caption id="attachment_1162253" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, centre, greets Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo during Labour Day celebrations on June 19 in Fyzabad. At left, is DCP Junior Benjamin. - Photo by Lincoln Holder[/caption] Guevarro, 49, of Matilda Road, Princes Town shared some insight about his formative years during his inaugural speech at the Police Academy on June 17. He grew up in the rural community of Moruga, known for its legendary folklore characters Papa Neeza (Ebenezer Elliot), Mother Cornhusk (Catherine Brizan), and the thriving marijuana plantations. As part of the recruitment process for the top cop post, Guevarro said he had to take a polygraph test and when the question came about whether he ever took drugs he proudly said no, as he implored officers to maintain their integrity at all times. Guevarro's challenge of leading the police service, now at one of its lowest ever standing with public trust and confidence under eight per cent, comes after what he described as the "darkest days of the police service," an obvious reference to the arrest of former top cop Erla Harewood-Christopher at Police Administration Building in early February as part of an investigation into the procurement of two military-grade sniper rifles for the country's premier spy agency, the Strategic Services Agency. The case against Harewood-Christopher collapsed after DPP Roger Gaspard found insufficient evidence to support any charge. Senior officers said Guevarro's speech "from his heart" in front of dignitaries, politicians and scores of police officers has already set the right tone full of confidence and seriousness that he can get the job done. Officers who were at the event as well as those who viewed the ceremony online said Guevarro's stern voice, fit appearance, standing at six feet tall and just over 180 lbs, is just the boost of confidence the service needs. His track record, they said, speaks for itself. He rose from constable to acting senior superintendent in the Special Branch in 27 years and has earned the confidence and respect of key US intelligence agencies and other international partners. Fear of crime grips country Over the last few years, murders have climbed to new records, crossing the 600 mark at least once, gang violence seemed to spiral out of control. There has also been a resurgence of kidnappings for ransom, rising reports of extortion of business people, a wave of police-involved killings without any closure, outbursts of school violence, a rise in home invasions, robberies, runaway illegal quarrying on state lands, violent domestic disputes and traffic violations which have sparked growing fears and panic among the law-abiding people. So much so, on December 30, 2024, a state of emergency was declared for three months to suppress a violent wave of gangland killings and retaliations, including a brazen attack outside the Besson Street Police Station in broad daylight. Another major challenge the CoP will have to confront, senior officers said, is the "culture of cover-up" and lack of accountability for investigating crimes which drag on for years without closure. The instances of police officers fabricating criminal cases against people and falsely testifying in court is another practice which has to be eradicated, they added. Best among candidates Guevarro emerged as the commission's top pick after a year-long recruitment process which saw several other members of the police executive competing for the job. The list included DCP Operations Junior Benjamin, who took the reins of the service as acting CoP after Harewood-Christopher was suspended, DCP Intelligence and Investigations Suzette Martin, ACP Curt Simon, ACP Wayne Mystar, ACP Anand Ramesar, head of the Special Branch ACP Terrence Pierre, Snr Supt Subhas Ramkhelawan, Snr Supt Clint Arthur, former ACP Joseph Chandool, who was seriously injured in a crash on June 17, and Lt Colonel Sheldon Ramanan, a qualified lawyer, of the TT Defence Force. Guevarro received the unanimous support of all government and opposition MPs on June 17 and got his letter of appointment on June 18. He will serve as CoP for 11 years, the second longest period after former commissioner Randolph Burroughs who was appointed as CoP in 1978 at the age 48. Guevarro referred to Burroughs and Cecil Carrington, both deceased, as officers who laid the foundation for the service. Burroughs' career as a media-savvy crime-fighting CoP ended in disgrace after he was charged with conspiracy to murder in 1987 and named in the Scott Drug Report in 1985. Carrington, who retired as an ACP, was a member of the infamous Flying Squad led by Burroughs, was shot dead at his Manzanilla beach resort in 2011. Guevarro intends to meet with the executive of the police service, which includes divisional commanders, this week to listen to their concerns before he rolls out his plans to take back the country from the grip of criminals and restore much-needed public trust and support. His appointment coincides with the roll-out of three-year strategic plan to reduce crime. He said he does not intend to give any media interviews before speaking to his executive and senior officers as he did not want them to hear about his vision for the organisation from another source than his lips. Guevarro was recruited by the Special Branch as a probationer after he graduated from the Police Barracks in 1996 and assigned to the Princes Town Police Station. He rose through the ranks from constable to acting senior superintendent and for years had been the police service chief liaison with key US agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security and others such as the US Department of Justice, a senior Special Branch officer said. He also worked alongside the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), an elite tactical operations unit, which works closely with US agencies to go after international narco-traffickers, terrorists, human traffickers and gun smugglers from Latin America and other countries. 'I wish I could have cloned him' Retired ACP Ansley Garrick, a former head of the Special Branch and head of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau (ONCFB) said he first encountered Guevarro in 2015 when he was assigned to investigate the discovery of a quantity of marijuana found on the compound of the private home of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He said before interviewing Guevarro, then an inspector, who was in charge of Special Branch officers responsible for security of the PM's home, he had a conversation with him and immediately recognised that he was "astute, sharp and witty" and he was "a thinker." "I never picked up in his response that he was cagey and wanted to hide anything. So that gave me a marker. There was nothing to hide. As an investigator, I can pick up on signals and whether someone is trying to bramble me or trying to hedge around something. His presentation and his comments were free. And so the interview lasted about four and a half hours. During that time, I recognised that this officer had some mettle. I didn't tell him that yet." Later on, Garrick said he tried to recruit Guevarro to the ONCFB but his offer was not accepted. Guevarro said he was "aligned to Special Branch." "I found an officer that the police service was looking for a long time. And when I say that, I wish I could have cloned him and spread him in every division," Garrick said. He said after his conversation and interview with Guevarro his previous perception of the Special Branch changed dramatically, as officers who were not simply opening doors for VIPs. Garrick, who was present for the CoP's inaugural address on June 17, said he recalled Guevarro asking him whether he would consider leading the Special Branch. "The gentleman to me is the turning point for the organisation. And, the fact that he has longevity in the job it's a good investment. I can tell you, he doesn't have a partisan bone in his body." "What supplements his acumen is his active hearing capacity. He not just listens, he listens actively." Garrick is confident the commission made the right choice. "I can't fault them for this. I think my heart would be less pained with that gentleman holding the reins of the chariot of the police service. This is a good investment, and trust me from what I know of him, sit back, and they will see returns on the investment." Disciplined officer Another former head of the Special Branch, retired acting ACP Wendy Wilkinson said she was "proud and elated" Guevarro was chosen by the commission as its top candidate who has "longevity on his side." "I believe in meritocracy and that he merited that first place speaks volumes for someone who the public perceives as having been in one section for the majority of his service. So that speaks to his all-round understanding of the organisation because if you were in one section for a length of time and you are able to go out there and express yourself, because remember they're testing a variety of competencies to become the commissioner and some people may feel that that was his disadvantage having been in one place but it speaks to his application of himself." "I've seen him do a lot of things we do out there, you can't really speak, some things are still before the court like terrorism activity and that's still before the court, so you won't want to go into that, they wouldn't want to refer to that, some of the things you cannot refer to, but if you put him on joint committees on task force you know, you see how he excels and even the other people with whom he would work with on different task forces, you know joint efforts, they too acknowledge the vital contribution that he brought." Wilkinson, who retired in 2019, said whenever she tasked Guevarro with an assignment there was never a need for her to give gentle reminders. "No reminder needed. He will report, he has strong communication skills, he listens and he's a disciplined person so when action is required you can count on him, strategising and executing. His leadership skills I had no problem with and no problem with punctuality." She said that together with the executive, middle managers and ground troops, Guevarro can raise the police service back to its days of glory. Passion for hunting A third former head of the Special Branch, who spoke on the condition on anonymity, said the commission made an "excellent choice." The retired officer said Guevarro, who she affectionately called G, has a sound character and was very conscious of the functioning of the police service. "He may not be somebody who is loud and always, and I would say ra-ra-ring, but he has a wealth of knowledge. He has led numerous investigations, including the islandwide blackout at TTEC." "If you know him, his family, his daughters, are important. He looks at the family as a whole because he grew up in a Catholic home. I know he practises his religion and his faith. "G, that's what we call him, has a passion for hunting." She said that she could count on his attendance and punctuality even though he was coming to the capital city from Moruga. "Some people may think that he has not done investigations but he has done a lot of investigations. He's been he's assisting in the background. A lot of investigations he has done, that has resulted in a lot of big discoveries in Trinidad but you just can't disclose them because we are the Special Branch and not that type of department." Must follow govt policy Former acting CoP Stephen Williams, who led the service between 2012-2018, congratulated Guevarro on his appointment in what he said was one of the most challenging jobs in the country. [caption id="attachment_1162254" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Retired former acting CoP Stephen Williams. -[/caption] "I think he will do well in the office. Time is on his side and that is a big plus. One of the things I would say which is going for him, he is an extremely brilliant person, a visionary, somebody who will bring to bear on the police service, not just mere traditional policing, but bring to bear on the police service contemporary policing and add to it levels of innovation, which are critical for the organisation to make what I call a jump forward in addressing crime and criminality, and the whole issue of safety and security in the nation. So, I think the country is blessed at this point in time to have such a person appointed as CoP." He said Guevarro will meet "a potentially strong team" with three deputy commissioners who were recently appointed and they need to bring to bear all their capacity, training and capabilities to make the police service move forward to deliver quality policing for the citizens of TT. Williams said he expects Guevarro to use the strategic plan recently launched which deals with the issue of criminal gangs, violence in schools, homicides and other violent crimes, public safety, traffic issues, health and safety in the workplace, among other big-ticket items to meet the policy decisions set by the government which include reducing violent crime by November and approve firearm user's licences to law-abiding people who meet the stringent criteria. "One of the critical things he has to understand is that the police service has no choice, you don't have a choice you have to implement government policy...You cannot disregard that and say, 'well I'm doing my own thing', then you would have failed as a commissioner of police because you must implement government policy positions with the safety and security of the citizens as priority number one." "Everything the UNC government would have listed in their manifesto, once they convert that into policies, the commissioner of police has to implement those policies. Therefore, as we talk about firearm users' licences if they convert that manifesto position to now a government policy to deal with firearms he has to implement that government policy whether he like it or he doesn't like it is irrelevant when you sit in the office of commissioner. "The only time you have the opportunity to express your viewpoints is prior to the making of the policy. If you can recognise in the process of making a policy government is heading in a direction you feel is wrong you will be able to share your views because you have different fora to share your views, you have meetings with the Minister of Homeland Security, you have National Security Council meetings, sometimes you have a meeting with the Cabinet. You have so many different fora that you can utilise to share your views but having shared your view that is about it, the government now confers it might take you on board whatever is your view and they may say, ‘okay, we are still going forward with our position’ and once it's converted into a government policy it's your responsibility to implement it. If you don't want to implement it the only other choice you have is to resign or retire." Sending the right signal Former acting CoP McDonald Jacob said he recalled Guevarro as a young enthusiastic constable working out of the Princes Town station in 1996 before Special Branch "grabbed him up.". [caption id="attachment_1162255" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Retired former acting CoP McDonald Jacob -[/caption] Jacob said when he operated as the DCP Intelligence and Investigations Guevarro was the point person to deal with transnational organised crime and linking with external agencies. "He was one of the pivot persons, the person who I would link with and, also at times, assign him particular investigations to do. And as the acting commissioner, I also had assigned him to do some special investigations. In all the interaction, it came out that he operated as the ultimate professional, with his endeavours." He said Guevarro's age puts him in a position "to do that sort of transformation for the police service." "It needed somebody to have the time to work on the strategic plan of the police service which normally will be for a three-year period. I would recommend a five-year period. We can really and truly work and make the necessary changes." With the evolving crime environment, the impact of transnational crime, which was significantly impacting the country, Guevarro's appointment sent the right signal. "Whether or not he's there for five years, six years or what, nobody knows what can happen down the road in relation to different things. So that team can in fact get an opportunity to make the significant transformation that is required to suit contemporary times. From white-collar corporate crime to the whole aspect of transnational organised violent crime and to really match up with that, you need a transformation. People like to go into the areas of police corruption and transformation, yes, those are areas that need addressing but they are minute to the bigger picture that is facing us." Should do exceptionally well Former acting CoP James Philbert, who retired in 2010, said while he did not know Guevarro, even when he headed the Special Branch, he was impressed by his ability to give an extempore speech during his inaugural speech. "If you abandon your speech and you're speaking from the top of your head, you have to be real good. The guy seemed to be an intelligent guy to me because he did well to be approved by the Police Service Commission." Philbert, whose legendary crime-fighting role led to the conviction of Dole Chadee and his gang in 1999, said Guevarro has a lot of time in front of him. "He understands this thing and he understands how wisdom comes. He can do that. What you really have before you is a promise. You have a promise before you and it depends on how you do your thing and how you behave yourself and so on, because if you don't, and go and interfere with the people thing in the wrong way, you can find it short-lived." Philbert, who had the reputation as a no-nonsense commissioner, said he heard a little bit of Guevarro and "somebody tell me he sounds like a strong man." Told that Guevarro sounded much like himself, Philbert responded, "Well, if he sounds like me and he behaves like me, he will know how to get people to do the work." He said police officers are being paid to do their work but are rarely being held accountable for their inaction. Philbert said if Guevarro "steps on the right stones and things, and look in the right places, he'll get ahead. I think what he has in his favour is huge and he understands the changing technology. I don't know why he shouldn't do well. I think he should do exceptionally well." Embracing technology Former CoP Gary Griffith, who served between 2018-2021, said Guevarro may be able to restore public trust and confidence to the high levels under his leadership because he understands, appreciates and embraces the type of technology, systems, programmes, policies, units that were implemented under his tenure. [caption id="attachment_1162256" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Retired former CoP Gary Griffith -[/caption] He said after his departure several initiatives were discontinued causing a drastic drop in the public's trust and confidence from 59 per cent to less than eight per cent. Griffith said the mandatory use of body-worn cameras, use of online tools to report crimes, installing GPS to track police vehicles and measure their performance and response times could make a significant difference. As well as the reintroduction of special elite tactical units, gender-based units, social media monitoring units, polygraph and drug testing for police officers would "reignite people to believe the police service is not a law unto itself." "When that happens, it will have a domino effect towards crime reduction because now people will be willing to give information to the police because there's no such thing as the perfect crime," Griffith said in a voice note. He also called on Guevarro to act on a complaint and investigate the decision of the former police service commission chairman Bliss Seepersad to withdraw a merit list from the Office of the President after she was presented with information from former prime minister Dr Rowley in 2021, as well as the decision by the police to travel to Barbados in 2022 and "abduct" gun dealer Brent Thomas who was under investigation for having automatic weapons. "That too must be investigated to ascertain if a politician should be charged for misbehaviour in office," Griffith said.   The post Crime troubleshooter: High hopes for CoP Guevarro appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.