…….since nobody else will
At a time when citizens are being told that the TTPS needs thousands more officers, the public has already seen the real problem: not a shortage of manpower, but a shortage of judgement, leadership, and accountability.
When more than a dozen heavily armed officers in riot gear can be deployed to arrest a young woman and her mother for protesting during traditional Labour Day marches, while communities across the nation continue to cry out for faster response times and real crime-fighting results, it completely exposes the weakness of the current argument to expand the Police Service to 10,000 officers.
The latest attempt by Alexander Bruzual, who looks more like a press secretary than an objective journalist, to justify Commissioner Guevarro’s call for more numbers must therefore be answered directly.
The issue is not whether Trinidad and Tobago needs more police officers; it is whether we need better policing, stricter accountability, and a TTPS that delivers measurable results. I therefore ask the public to read my full statement below.
Increasing Police Numbers Without Accountability Is Not a Crime Plan — We need enhanced Quality not increased Quantity
The recent recommendation to increase the strength of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) from just over 7,000 officers to over 10,000—a 30% increase—is not a serious crime-fighting strategy. It is the usual excuse offered when those in charge are unable to deliver results: ask for more manpower, more resources, more equipment, and more money.
This strategy of throwing good money after bad was opposed by both Dwayne Gibbs and myself. This is why I strongly urge the Government to seek independent international guidance from qualified law enforcement experts, including through the British High Commission and the United States Embassy.
The Real Problem: Quality over Quantity
The problem in the TTPS has never been simply about numbers. It has always been about:
– Leadership and accountability
– Systems and productivity
– Visibility and response times
– Training, integrity, and public trust
All of these are noticeably absent at the moment. And the truth is, Trinidad and Tobago already has one of the highest ratios of police officers to population size and density in the world.
At present, New York City has approximately 35,000 police officers to secure over 8.5 million persons who traverse the city daily. So by comparison New York presently needs 6,176 police officers to manage 1.5 million persons. And if they expand their service to match our proposed 10,000 for 1.5 million people, the NYPD would need nearly 57,000 officers — over 21,000 more than its current approximate strength of 35,000.
This comparison alone exposes the flaw in the thinking.
The answer is not quantity. The answer is quality.
A Proven Track Record of 21st-Century Policing
In 2018-2021 the country saw through the TTPS what proper systems could achieve. Public trust and confidence in the police reached approximately 60%. Citizens witnessed true 21st-century policing:
– High-Visibility Patrols: Officers were out of the stations and on the streets.
– Modern Infrastructure: Police vehicles were tracked via GPS, and communication systems were strengthened.
– Command Accountability: Officers were held strictly responsible for their assigned areas, pushing towards a five-minute rapid response time.
– Digital Innovation: Online reporting was introduced to reduce unnecessary station duties, putting more boots on the ground.
This was also the direction under former Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs, where initiatives such as the Community Comfort Patrol, Emergency Response Patrol, and the Rapid Response Unit were designed to bring policing back to the people. That is what works—not simply adding thousands of officers without first fixing the systems that measure and manage them.
The Risks of a Bloated Force
If you increase numbers without proper accountability, you do not automatically increase productivity. In fact, you risk weakening the Police Service even further by:
1) Increasing the difficulty of effective supervision.
2) Heightening the risk of unqualified, poorly trained, or rogue elements entering the organisation.
3) Creating a larger, more unwieldy institution without solving the root problem: performance.
Before asking taxpayers to carry an additional financial burden that could exceed $500 million per year, the Government must ask a simple question: what measurable improvement in policing will this expenditure produce?
More officers sitting in stations will not reduce crime. More officers without performance metrics will not improve response times. More officers without vetting, polygraph testing, drug testing, continuous training, and robust accountability mechanisms will not restore public trust.
Furthermore, $500 million a year could easily provide the vital assets, equipment, and resources needed to totally transform the wider National Security apparatus, including:
– The Prison Service, Customs, and Immigration
– The Fire Service and Defence Force
– The Police Marine Branch and Air Guard
But, if they do not wish to accept my position, or the position held by Dwayne Gibbs before me, then let independent international experts assess the structure of the TTPS. Let them confirm whether our existing numbers are already more than sufficient.
Trinidad and Tobago does not need a bloated Police Service. It needs a disciplined, accountable, visible, responsive, and intelligence-led Police Service. Anything less is not reform.
Gary Griffith
Former Commissioner of Police
