Five (5) – nothing more; nothing less
And Minister Roger Alexander?
“Shhhhh…”
The Rum Posse met for its end of week lime by Big Bottom Beverly and, as expected, it was a truly enjoyable affair, filled with laughter, joy and camaraderie. Present were – Shirley, Big Bottom Beverly’s younger sister; Alfred; Balkie; Barman; Ramesh; Roshan; Sunil; and Anand and his wife, Rihanna. On the menu were stew fish, stew chicken, stew lamb, curry river conch, ground provision, jasmine rice and greens. In the bar were premium whisky, premium brandy, Tito’s vodka, Campari, White Oak rum, puncheon and chasers.
As to what should be the topic of discussion, they all felt that an issue on the foreign front should be considered since they were tired talking about murders, home invasions, corruption, oil spills, and general incompetence. In spite of this, they just could not allow the folly of the Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, to pass without comment. They decided therefore to postpone to a later date the discussion on foreign affairs such as the political survival of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer.
They recalled that at the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service 103rd annual Sports and Family Day at the Police Academy one week ago, Minister Alexander was asked how he would grade Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro’s performance whose first anniversary was coming in a few weeks. The question should not have been unexpected since the same was asked of Erla Christopher and previous Police Commissioners after their first year in office. In addition, just a few weeks ago the people had been asked to grade the performance of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s first year in office following the April 28 general election.
The usually garrulous Alexander sidestepped the question and responded with a ton load of gobhar, saying that policing at the national level could not be reduced to the performance of a single individual. Alexander had the effrontery to tell the public that policing is a team effort and not an individual effort, and that he has total confidence in the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service and that it is where he had come from. Nobody asked Alexander about who he has confidence in or where he had come from. All he was asked is how he would grade Guevarro’s performance.
Big Bottom Beverly: My heart is overflowing today. I don’t know why, but ah feeling especially good today. The way the country going these days is enough reason to be depressed, but I feeling good. Ah have all meh friends and dem at my home this evening and for me I doh need no reason to be depressed.
Shirley: True, Bev girl. You is de one who does always say a few words of thanks to the host, so I feel I should be the one to follow protocol in this case. So, thanks for having us at you today and we looking forward to some lively talk and more importantly, some good food and drink. Now what allyuh think ’bout Alexander ducking the question about what grade de Police Commissioner deserve after about one year in office? That shouldn’t be so hard for him to answer.
Barman: That is not a hard question to answer. Alexander was just playing smart with foolishness. Like he ‘fraid to give Guevarro a low grade that I feel he deserve. Is like he feel if he do dat de police go cuss him and he ent go want that. Because who knows? Dem police and dem might just decide to go on another day of policing to just harass people. Allyuh remember when Alexander was a Senior Superintendent in de police service when that happen? And on de opposite end, if he give Guevarro a high grade, de poor fella might be afraid that de public go cuss him out. So he was between de devil and de deep blue sea. I mehself might ah do de same thing, yes. Is ah case of damned if you do; and damned if you don’t.
Balkie: Not so long ago, the only people who used to head de Ministry of National Security was people from de Defence Force, and I used to wonder why. People like Colonel Joe Theodore, Brigadier John Sandy, Brigadier Alfonso; even Captain Gary Griffith. But never a retired police officer. Alexander was really de first. And yuh know what? I now see why.
Alfred: Why is that pardner?
Balkie: For me, the answer simple. In de police service is all about batch dis and batch dat; who was in training with who; who pass out from de St James Barrack with who. Is ah kind ah brotherhood of de batch and nobody eh want to offend none ah dey “batch”. That is why everything is compromised and I doubt you will ever get a straight and unbiased answer about Guevarro from Alexander in his capacity as Minister of Homeland Security.
Ramesh: Balks, yuh hit de nail on de head. “Zander” must say he have total confidence in de Trinidad & Tobago Police Service. That is where he come from. De question to ask is if he would have the same confidence in de TTPS if he wasn’t himself a product of the TTPS.
Roshan: This place is something else in truth, oui. Throughout the country it have talk about police accountability and it seem like neither de Minister nor the Commissioner of Police nor even de government, doing anything about it. In 99.999 percent of the cases that go to court for police misbehaviour in public office, the judges and dem does find the police guilty and the state does end up having to pay victims hundreds of thousands of dollars. And then trust between the police and the public is less than ten percent. It have more police killings today than ever before. Even the US embassy expressed some concern about dis state of affairs some time ago. And yet still, in spite of repeated calls for bodycams for officers on patrol, Guevarro and the Minister refuse to act on it. And de nonsense spewing from Alexander about how the safety of his officers is a priority before body cams is really to take we for ah bunch of fools!
Sunil: Roshan, you cyah be more vex than me. The minister say that the Police Service and the ministry don’t have any issue with police officers wearing bodycams. He say what he decide to do this time is protect law enforcement first by giving the police the requisite protection gear so they can better protect de citizens. Dat making sense? What more protection gear police need? Dey have de latest model cars, including electric cars. Dey have de most modern firepower that dey does sling over dey shoulder like Rambo. Dey have all kinds ah uniforms. Don’t talk about overtime money. It have several brand new police stations. New bullet-proof vests have been ordered for dem. Dey now even have speed guns to ketch speeding drivers. What more protective gear dey want?
Anand: The issue is more than that. Why the two sets of initiatives can’t be done simultaneously? It so hard to get de requisite protection gear for de police and bodycams at de same time? Is there some conflict in dat? Furthermore what has become of the 1000-plus bodycams Griffith purchased when he was Commissioner?
Rihanna: Let me jump in de fray and say in my humble opinion, this Commissioner is more form than substance. After he was sworn in, he give a set ah badjohn talk; and he still posturing. But what has he really achieved so far? Has there been an increase in arrests and convictions? Is there more trust today in the police under him? Is misbehaviour in de service on the decline? Are FULs now processed more quickly and deliberately? Are home invasions on the decline? Are we seeing more police patrols on foot? In police vehicles? On our highways and byways? Is there ah time-table for police to wear bodycams? The answer to every single one of dem questions is a resounding “NO!” I feel five out of ten is too high for de Commissioner of Police. But if allyuh give him a five, what grade the Minister of Homeland Security Minister should get?
All: Shhhhh
Big Bottom Beverly: Not me nah. I know what I deserve; and that will be a 20 out of 10 when allyuh done get down on my offerings.
Until next week
