Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 23/Sep 13:56

CoP: Opposition will look bad if I succeed

COMMISSIONER of Police Allister Guevarro said there are false narratives surrounding his work as people try to politicise his job. He said claims that he is a “UNC puppet” are totally false. He said he believes it is only a few people who have some “political alignment” that are pushing a negative agenda so he would not succeed. If he does succeed, he surmised, “Perhaps, it will make the Opposition look bad. And if they do not support what I do, then crime would always remain high, and the current government would look bad. That’s the truth.” Guevarro was pulled in as an impromptu guest on the I95.5 FM Radio show on September 22, having visited the station to express condolences on the passing of their Deputy Head of News, Sterling Henderson, who was found dead at his Arouca home on September 20. Guevarro said he is not aligned to any political party, has never voted and has no intention to do so in the future, because his job demands that he be neutral and serve which ever party is in government to the best of his ability and in the interest of the people and country. Asked directly to respond to the moniker “UNC puppet” ascribed to him by some, having been appointed shortly after the United National Congress won the 2025 general election, and policies he is implementing, Guevarro said: “I don’t care who is in government. I care about the people of TT. I would bleed on the national flag to make sure the red is looking more red. My only thought process in this entire thing, is TT.” Guevarro said having entered Special Branch in 1998, he immediately recognised to function in that department one had to be apolitical. He said he made a personal choice not to support any party, for which he was chastised and pressured “to exercise your democratic right.” His response was, “I could not have gone to the polls on Monday, and my party having lost or won, go on to serve another party the next day. That would be hypocritical. “I don’t partake in anything that has to do with a political cause, because I have to answer to the government of the day. “If a government changes tomorrow, I must answer to that new government. I must be apolitical in everything that I do. This is my personal stance. “Over the years, I have served and reported and informed various heads of government, including the last prime minister, including the last ministers of national security, and they would have listened to the advice I would have presented to them, and they would have made particular pronouncement or decisions based on what I would have given them.” He said he was satisfied to hear someone defend him, by stating that he was selected by a police service commission (PSC) which was selected by the President, who was selected by the former People’s National Movement (PNM), moving him to draw the conclusion, “so if I am to be politically aligned to, would it not be to the PNM?” As CoP, he said he has to take strategic policy decisions from what exists in the government, “and to ensure that the police service align itself to support some of those policies that are within the lawful remit.” He assured, “I would not break the law or cause my officers to break to law to see any particular outcome. So, the ten or 11 persons, four or five with fake profiles online, trolling anything that has the name Guevarro on it and throwing a negative political spin on it, they want to paint me as being politically aligned. “TT, I am here to support you, not any particular political party.” The post CoP: Opposition will look bad if I succeed appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.