Questions over leadership continuity within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) have emerged in recent days following the unexplained absence of Commissioner Allister Guevarro, but top government officials are moving quickly to dismiss fears of a power vacuum at the head of the national law enforcement agency.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander addressed growing public and political speculation during a televised interview with TV6 on Wednesday, firmly stating that the TTPS remains fully functional despite Guevarro’s unannounced leave, and that no formal crisis exists in the service’s leadership ranks. Per TTPS’s established hierarchical structure, Alexander explained, Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin — the most senior active officer on duty at present — has stepped into the role of interim leader to oversee all agency operations.
The controversy ignited after Opposition chairman Marvin Gonzales publicly questioned Guevarro’s whereabouts, and called out the Police Service Commission (PolSC) for failing to confirm whether any formal arrangement for an acting commissioner had been put in place during Guevarro’s absence. An anonymous senior police source confirmed to media outlets that Guevarro had applied for emergency leave, though the source could not verify widespread claims that the commissioner had already left the country.
In comments to the *Express* over the weekend, Benjamin himself acknowledged that while he is currently the highest-ranking serving officer in the TTPS, he has not received a formal official document appointing him to serve as acting commissioner. That revelation amplified opposition calls for clarification from the government on the TTPS’s leadership status.
Alexander pushed back against those calls on Wednesday, arguing that the TTPS’s longstanding chain of command eliminates the need for extra formal procedures during a temporary absence. “Who is next in line holds on in the interim. There’s no need for additional action,” the minister said, noting that the government and senior TTPS leadership have full confidence in Benjamin’s ability to guide the service. Alexander added that Benjamin has previously fulfilled interim leadership duties for the TTPS, and that the deputy commissioner continues to receive full support from both the government and rank-and-file officers under his command.
“As the line minister responsible for this portfolio, I can confirm that there are no issues with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service,” Alexander emphasized.
The minister also rejected opposition claims that Guevarro’s absence has left the TTPS leaderless, pointing to the agency’s deep bench of senior leadership to back up his argument. “The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has three deputy commissioners and 11 assistant commissioners of police. This is not a one-man job,” he said. Alexander added that temporary absences for senior officers are a routine occurrence across all public institutions, and the TTPS’s clear hierarchy is designed to allow other qualified leaders to step in seamlessly when needed.
“I don’t know why all this excitement,” Alexander said. “There are a number of persons in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service who from time to time would go here, there and everywhere. And even in their absence, there are persons who can replace them.”
Alexander also criticized the intense public focus on Guevarro’s personal whereabouts, arguing that even elected and appointed public officials are entitled to a reasonable degree of personal privacy. “It is almost like, when you enter public office, your personal life becomes completely public. Some things that we need to leave alone at times… And when the time comes, we will explain it all,” he said.
The minister went a step further, questioning the priorities of critics who have continued to press for details on Guevarro’s location. “There are persons who continue to ask a certain question that makes no logical sense,” Alexander said. “I often say this… there are some persons right now asking where the Commissioner is, and they don’t even know where their own children are. They’re asking where the Commissioner is, and their own boss at work is looking for them because they haven’t been seen on the job in days.”
“Some of the children are not going to school, the parents are not even asking if they went to school or not. But where is the Commissioner? The Commissioner is where he’s supposed to be,” Alexander added.
Despite Alexander’s assurances, public and political questions persist over whether a formal acting appointment is legally required for the TTPS during Guevarro’s leave. For his part, Alexander has remained firm in his position: the TTPS can continue its core public safety work through its existing command structure, and Benjamin is fully capable of leading the service until Guevarro returns.