A major anti-corruption and disciplinary overhaul is underway in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), after top official Allister Guevarro announced the permanent revocation of appointments for 17 suspended police officers this week, reaffirming a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct that leaves no member of the force exempt from accountability.
The 17 affected officers are just a fraction of the 280 TTPS personnel currently suspended over a range of alleged rule-breaking and criminal infractions. Their names were formally released in an official advisory, with the revocation confirmed in a public voice note address from Police Commissioner Guevarro shared with media over the weekend following Thursday’s initial announcement.
In his address, Guevarro centered his remarks on a core principle guiding the disciplinary push: there are no “sacred cows” within the TTPS. Police officers across all ranks are granted extraordinary public authority to maintain safety and uphold the law, Guevarro explained, and this public mandate comes with a non-negotiable duty to hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and service to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Any officer who wears this uniform and engages in criminality will face the full weight of lawful action. I will take every step necessary to remove you from this organisation,” Guevarro said. He stressed that when officers break their oath of office, consequences will be unambiguous, swift, and applied equally to all ranks, regardless of position or seniority. Drawing on a vivid local turn of phrase to underscore his commitment to equal accountability, Guevarra argued that all criminals face the same consequence: “it will be big gouti, small gouti, same shot.”
The commissioner added that the TTPS remains fully committed to the values of transparency, accountability, and the highest ideals of public service. This disciplinary crackdown is part of a broader push to strengthen institutional integrity, rebuild public confidence in the force, and remind every serving officer that their core duty is to serve the public without bias or favoritism. Guevarro promised that as the zero-tolerance policy is rolled out, the public will see a more determined, united response to widespread crime.
Reaction to the decision from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association, the representative body for officers, has been measured but broadly supportive. Association president ASP Ishmael Pitt told reporters that if Commissioner Guevarro is acting within the bounds of his legal authority, the association has no objections to the revocations.
“We support any move to improve the image of the TTPS and address issues of accountability, integrity and ethics,” Pitt said. But Pitt did highlight a longstanding point of friction between the association and TTPS leadership: the association has concerns in cases where disciplinary action is taken prematurely, without adhering to core principles of natural justice that guarantee officers fair process. Pitt stressed that once all due process requirements and legal parameters are met for the 17 revoked officers, the association will not challenge the decision.
Following the announcement, the TTPS released the full list of officers whose appointments have been revoked: Tamara Boyce, Vijay Singh, Elliot Chin, Joanne Jadoo, Owen Hem-Lee, Jilann Holder, Kizzy Thomas, Karlon Murray, Christopher Gobin, Michael Alcala, Carlos Thorne, Devon Basant, Akiel Smith, Desron Dillon, Shaun Reid, Joff Awong and Daryl Baksh.