High hopes for new ACPS in divisions with high murders
Shane Superville
Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
On September 12, eight new Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and six new Senior Superintendents received their letters of appointment to units and divisions. The shuffle in leadership positions of the police executive comes as the murder count continues to escalate with 454 murders recorded as of Saturday compared to 426 for the same period in 2023.
Data compiled from the TTPS Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) branch show that the Port-of-Spain, Eastern and Tobago Divisions have the highest number of murders due to gang violence. But as the public and junior officers look to their new divisional commanders for fresh strategies against criminals, the newly appointed officers face long-standing issues and emerging challenges in the areas under their supervision.
Western and Port-of-Spain Divisions
Current ACP North-West Ryan Khan served as head of the Eastern Division for four years before being appointed ACP South-Central in August. In his current portfolio, he is responsible for the Western and Port-of-Spain divisions where there have been gang wars between Sixx and Seven factions since mid-2023.
Between January 1 and September 16, there have been 72 murders in the Port-of-Spain Division compared to 31 murders for the same period in 2023.
The use of high-powered automatic weapons during these attacks has led to several multiple murders in the Western and Port-of-Spain divisions for the year so far. One of the most widely reported occurred in March at Harpe Place where five people, Rudolph Donnie James, Randy Graves, police band member Sgt Larry Phillip, Pete Noray, and Devon Jack, were killed in a drive-by shooting.
In May, in Powder Magazine, Cocorite, four people—22-year-old Shaquille Ottley, Sadiki Ottley, 31, Jonathan Osmond, 36, and Antonio Jack, 57, were killed when gunmen opened fire on them outside Phase 1.
The gang war was also waged on the compounds of public health facilities. The first incident was at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in June when gunmen who staged an attack in Gonzales killed 21-year-old Jadon Reyes, wounding three others. Survivors Peter Abdul Williams, Kevin King, and Jonathan Arjoon were taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital but were followed by the gunmen who killed them there before escaping.
Earlier this month, hospital worker Jamaal Watts was gunned down at the St James Medical Complex.
Khan, who has had some experience in policing the Port-of-Spain Division, said he intends to use his experience from the Eastern Division to fight crime in the nation’s capital.
“The time spent at both places has given me valuable insights into crime prevention and community engagement,” he said.
“At both divisions, we focused on intelligence-driven operations, community policing, and strengthening of partnerships with all stakeholders. These strategies are highly adaptable and are an integral part of the Commissioner of Police’s violence reduction strategy.
“I believe that by continuing to build on what was previously done by the former ACP and continuing to apply the violence reduction strategies, we can see a significant crime reduction.”
Eastern Division
Trinidad’s east coast is often used by smugglers to transport drugs, guns, and migrants from neighbouring Venezuela.
While police have faced challenges in quelling the influx of contraband due to the several coves and inlets located in Toco and Mayaro, gang violence is an emerging threat in the division.
Between January 1 and September 16, there were 41 murders in the Eastern Division, compared to 22 for the same period in 2023. Flare-ups in violence in Sangre Grande, Toco, and Manzanilla have been attributed to an ongoing gang war. Homicide investigators say the gang feuds involve different cliques of gangs in Eastern Trinidad and certain areas have seen involvement from criminals in Carapo, Maloney, Arouca, and Beetham Gardens.
Snr Supt Christopher Paponette was assigned to the Eastern Division, which stretches from Matelot in the north to Rio Claro in the south, covers Trinidad’s east coast and is bordered by the Northern Division North, the Central and Southern Divisions.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Paponette has been assigned to several intelligence-gathering units, including the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, CID, the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and Northern Division North.
Paponette said he was confident his years of experience in different elite units would be an asset to managing the Eastern Division’s policing resources while formulating an effective anti-crime strategy.
“I have served in various leadership capacities across the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, tackling some of the most challenging issues, from organised crime and violent gangs to narcotics and high-profile investigations.
“I have always believed that effective policing is not just about law enforcement but about creating partnerships with the community.
“To the residents of the Eastern Division, I want to say that my approach will be rooted in openness and genuine collaboration. I recognise that the safety and well-being of this community are not achieved through policing alone but through strong relationships between the police and the people.”
Paponette succeeds Snr Supt Claire Guy-Alleyne, who officers say was the shortest serving head of the Eastern Division, having been appointed in June.
Northern Division
The sheer size and population density of the Northern Division have made it a difficult area to police over the years. The Division covers a significant portion of the east-west corridor, including the North Eastern, North Central and Northern North divisions. It is managed by a single ACP and three Senior Superintendents, effectively begins in Morvant and ends in Cumuto, including a mix of urban townships, sprawling rural farmland, densely forested hillsides, hospitals, schools, government offices, three prisons, and an international airport.
It was previously headed by Arima native ACP Oswain Subero and experienced a drop in murder toll in all three segments, according to data from CAPA. From January 1 to September 16, the North Eastern Division had 52 murders compared to 59 for the same period last year; the North Central Division reported 35 murders this year compared to 56 in 2023; while the Northern Division North had 67 murders last year, compared to 44 this year.
Subero, who has since been assigned to the Tobago Division, said he would have to refer to the three Senior Superintendents of the North Eastern, North Central and Northern North divisions on what could be attributed to the success.
When asked if he felt being a long-time Arima resident was an advantage in formulating strategies for the area, Subero said while his knowledge of the area helped in understanding the layout and residents, he credited his team for the good work.
“The knowledge of officers, especially ASP Ishmael Pitt, who has the practical experience of the division,” he said.
An officer assigned to an intelligence unit Northern Division said the drop in murders was due to the TTPS ‘blue line’ operations, which temporarily assigned officers from different sections to operational units earlier this year. He said the enhanced numbers allowed for wider coverage of areas for patrols, searches, and roadblocks.
“Basically it was a situation where they flooded the streets with police. There were a lot of house searches and just allocating more manpower and asking for even more officers to come out and perform duties.”
Subero is succeeded by the former head of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, ACP Rishi Singh.
The Northern Division was not the only area where a drop in murders was observed for the year so far. The Central Division has seen a slight decrease of nine per cent between January and September and the South Western Division reported a 13 per cent drop in murders.
Police Association: No grace period for ACPS
Vice president of the TTPS Social Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) acting ASP Ishmael Pitt called on junior officers to give their full support to the newly appointed leaders. He noted that clear communication between the divisional commanders and their subordinates would enhance workflow and strengthen the operational capacities in high-crime divisions.
Pitt said junior officers had a responsibility to guide their leaders, as any crime-fighting initiative would hinge on their cooperation.
“If it is we don’t have that level of buy-in and that level of commitment from our junior officers, then we are spinning top in mud, and for that reason, we will urge senior officers placed in such a position to understand the dynamics and even the working conditions and the type of challenges junior officers are faced with,” he said.
“In understanding these things, we can utilise proper decision-making to mitigate and ensure our officers are presented with the best working environment so we can get a more productive police officer.”
Recognising that some of the officers would now be responsible for divisions in which they had no prior experience, Pitt said an adjustment to the geography, demographics, and challenges is inevitable. However, he stressed that officers should get acquainted with their new districts sooner rather than later.
“Having intimate knowledge of these communities and the culture within these communities goes a long way to the type of decisions we have to make.
“Change is continuous; for that reason, the organisation will continue to change in order to meet the challenge and the demands.”
As September draws to a close, there are effectively three months left in 2024. Between December and February, police in all divisions and units are activated to provide heightened security for the Christmas and Carnival seasons. This large-scale mobilisation of resources within a few months demands that the newly minted commanders learn their divisions for the best results.
New Appointments (put in box)
• ACP North West Ryan Khan – Responsible for Western and Port of Spain Divisions
• ACP Northern Rishi Singh: Responsible for North Eastern, North Central and Northern Division North
• Snr Supt North Central Division Michael Pierre: Responsible for St Joseph, Maracas St Joseph, Tunapuna, Piarco, and Arouca station districts
• Snr Supt Christopher Paponette Eastern Division: Responsible for Valencia, Sangre Grande, Matelot, Mayaro, Manzanilla, and Rio Claro districts
• ACP South Central Wayne Mystar: Responsible for Central, Southern and South Western divisions
• ACP Tobago Oswain Subero: Responsible for Tobago Division
• ACP Administration Richard Smith
• Snr Supt Inter-Agency Task Force Winston Maharaj • Snr Supt Guard and Emergency Branch Neil Brandon John
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