4 months ago
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SHALIZA HASSANALI
Senior Investigative Reporter
There have been frequent changes of leadership in the T&T Police Service (TTPS) with three Commissioners of Police (CoP) taking the helm between December 2021 and February 2025. This has led to questions about stability, continuity and long-term vision for effective policing.
Over those three years and two months, McDonald Jacob, Erla Harewood-Christopher and Junior Benjamin have served in the office of CoP.
For decades, the TTPS, Police Service Commission (PSC) and past and current governments have had their fair share of controversy in selecting a substantive CoP, many of whom did not last long in the position.
Between 1902 to February 2025, there were 24 CoPs, 23 males and one female. One was charged with a double murder and drug trafficking (Randolph Burroughs, another resigned (Dwayne Gibbs) and two were suspended (Gary Griffith and Harewood-Christopher) and a string of officers filing lawsuits against a former PSC chairman.
Some have raised issues of political interference and a flawed selection process.
On Wednesday, Parliament appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Benjamin to act as CoP following the suspension of Harewood-Christopher who is being investigated for the importation of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).
Harewood-Christopher, the country’s first female CoP, had been managing the TTPS for just 20 months. Her attorney Pamela Elder, SC, is challenging the suspension in court.
Harewood-Christopher succeeded acting CoP McDonald Jacob when he proceeded on 35 days of vacation leave on December 7, 2022. Harewood-Christopher, then acting Deputy Commissioner, was appointed to act.
Upon Jacobs’ return to the job in January 2023, his three-year civilian contract to act as CoP was deemed null and void. He had been acting in the position for a little over a year.
Harewood-Christopher was appointed the CoP on February 3, 2023.
Gary’s tenure
Gary Griffith served as Police Commissioner between 2018 and 2021 and had a track record of reducing crime and murders.
When his three-year tenure came to an end, Griffith was appointed to act as CoP after Cabinet and Parliament approved a law to allow a former contract officer to act as top cop.
He reapplied for the position but the recruitment process was marred by controversy after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley met with then chairman of the PSC Bliss Seepersad at President House and provided her with information with respect to alleged corruption on the issuance of firearms under Griffith’s purview as CoP.
The merit list which named Griffith as the choice for top cop was withdrawn by Seepersad in August 2021. He was also suspended from office.
Shortly after, the entire PSC board resigned.
Last January, Griffith trained his guns on Seepersad over the withdrawal of the merit list. He filed a lawsuit claiming that Seepersad’s actions prevented him from returning as CoP.
Rowley later disclosed that he had lost confidence in Griffith as CoP and National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said his biggest achievement was seeing Griffith exit the TTPS.
Williams’ watch
Stephen Williams had the longest term as acting CoP—from 2012 to 2018. Many felt he had been given a raw deal.
In 2006, Williams, a senior superintendent, applied for the position and was ranked the top candidate for the job. However, then prime minister Patrick Manning tried to dissuade him from accepting the nomination.
This was revealed in Parliament by then Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.
Maharaj said Manning called Williams to a meeting and told him the Government had a plan which did not include him.
Manning asked Williams to decline the offer by the PSC and step down but Williams refused to budge and felt the wrath of Manning’s government when 22 MPs voted against him for the post of CoP.
Manning felt that Williams did not have the experience for the job.
The acting role
The PSC appointed James Philbert who acted as CoP from 2007 to 2010. The PSC gave him successive six-month stints.
Trevor Paul, who served as CoP from 2004 to 2007, had his stay in office extended by one year because the PSC could not find a suitable candidate to replace him.
After acting as CoP for six months, Everald Snaggs was appointed to the post for one year from 2003-2004.
When Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership government assumed office in 2010, Canadians Dwayne Gibbs and Jack Ewatski were brought in as CoP and deputy CoP to fight crime. The Opposition under Rowley abstained from voting for the two men.
Persad-Bissessar admitted that over four years it cost the State $8 million to recruit a CoP. Gibbs’ monthly salary was $120,325.52. Ewatski collected $113,576.66 a month. Both were contracted to work for three years.
The country was informed that Gibbs had ranked second on the PSC’s merit list. Placing first was Canadian Neal Parker, who was rejected by Parliament due to an apparent conflict of interest, as he was a member of an earlier recruiting team who might have had access to privileged information.
After working for 22 months, Gibbs and Ewatski, who faced constant criticism, tendered their resignations, citing personal reasons and left T&T with ex gratia payments of over $2 million.
Deodat Dulalchan was another of the PSC’s controversial picks for the top position but he was rejected by the Parliament in 2018.
Rowley told the House of Representatives that his Government could not accept the nomination of Dulalchan who had applied for the job of Deputy Commissioner of Police but emerged as the top candidate for the post of CoP.
The PM described the process as flawed.
Dulalchan’s nomination was defeated and he threatened legal action against the PSC.
Reports also surfaced that Dulalchan had allegedly involved in land grabbing in Felicity and was under investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture. Coming out of that probe a report was submitted to Rowley.
Dulalchan maintained that his actions in obtaining the two acres of land were done above board.
Former police corporal Wayne Hayde, one of the candidates who applied for the CoP post in 2018, also initiated legal action over the selection and nomination process for the position.
Hayde’s attorney Fulton Wilson issued a pre-action protocol letter to Seepersad in which he described the action of the PSC in removing Hayde from the short list of candidates as “capricious, arbitrary and unfair.”
Perhaps the most controversial top cop was Randolph Burroughs, one of the longest-serving CoPs in the service. Burroughs held the position from 1978 to 1987.
Known for his fearless stance against criminals, Burroughs led one of the most notorious covert groups in the TTPS, the Flying Squad.
His popularity turned into notoriety when he was named as one of 52 officers in the Scott Drug Report. He also faced a charge of conspiracy to traffic cocaine in 1987 but was cleared.
His life as the country’s most radical CoP came crashing down when he was charged with the murder of two men at Lady Young Road, Morvant. He was eventually acquitted of the charges.
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