Senior Reporter
dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt
While Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro wants to bolster public confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS)–something that can be achieved with the use of body cameras–Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander says he prefers that officers get bulletproof vests over the devices.
Alexander was speaking with reporters following the historic handover of the TTPS leadership from former acting top cop Junior Benjamin to Guevarro at the Police Academy, St James, yesterday.
The event featured a performance by the Police Band and a ceremonial march, along with tributes from the TTPS Canine Unit, Mounted Branch and motorcyclists in honour of Benjamin and Guevarro.
Two days before, Alexander told a Standing Finance Committee that Government needed $25 million in supplemental income for the TTPS to fund 3,000 body cameras as part of the higher figure of $119 million for the service. He also said there are currently 970 cameras in use by the TTPS.
Despite this approval, Alexander yesterday said: “My thing would have been to encourage bulletproof vests before body cams. And I’ll tell you why...we need to protect the officer in the line of duty and he must feel that he is being supported and protected before he is able to go out there and really perform his duty.”
He added, “What are you going to put the cameras on? Answer that for me, all the bulletproof vests are outdated. Are you going to stick the cameras on your jersey? So, show the officer that you care about his life and that of his family because he supports his family. So, show him that you care about him.”
However, he acknowledged the importance of body cameras in helping officers prove their innocence while also building public trust that their actions are accurately represented.
The minister said while Government is prepared to allocate significant resources to the TTPS, it will also monitor how they are used to ensure value for money.
Speaking earlier during the ceremony, Alexander praised Benjamin for exemplary and dedicated service.
He also emphasised that Guevarro’s appointment was more than symbolic, as it is also backed by an executive commitment to equip and support the TTPS during what he described as “trying times.”
“The people of this nation are watching, and most importantly, they are depending on you,” he said to the new top cop.
Alexander also outlined a checklist of priorities he hopes Guevarro will address, chief among them restoring public confidence in the TTPS.
“I urge you to strengthen the service professionalism, restore public confidence and champion the innovation in policing. We want you to build bridges with the service and between the service and the society you serve,” he said.
“Let your tenure be marked with unity in the ranks, modernisation of police approaches, the uptick in the solve rate, a downward trend in reports to the Police Complaints Authority of errant officers and justice in every action.”
Alexander, a former police officer himself, also urged police officers to stand with the commissioner, calling them “guardians of democracy, protectors of space, symbol of hope of every citizen in this republic.”
He also said Wayne Mystar’s appointment as deputy commissioner will be addressed in the House. He said while the formal motion was delayed in the House last Friday, the acting role had already been “fulfilled in practice.”