With bipartisan support, the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament on Friday confirmed Allister Guevarro as the country’s new Commissioner of Police, officially replacing Erla Harewood-Christopher, whose term ended under a cloud of controversy.
Guevarro’s nomination came through the constitutional process, with the Police Service Commission (PSC) submitting the name to the Head of State, who in turn forwarded it to Parliament. Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, a former senior police officer who resigned ahead of the April 28 general election, piloted the nomination in the House.
Guevarro, a 1996 graduate of the police academy, has trained at the International Law Enforcement Academy in El Salvador and holds an MBA. He was one of three officers who led the investigation into the national security implications of the February 2022 islandwide blackout, which was later deemed an “act of God.”
His appointment comes after the controversial departure of Harewood-Christopher, who made history in February 2023 as Trinidad and Tobago’s first female police commissioner. Her tenure, however, was marred by legal scrutiny and tension with the administration. She was sent on 66 days’ leave last month, just two days after returning to duty following a decision by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, that there was “no realistic prospect” of her being convicted of misbehaviour in public office or any other offence.
Harewood-Christopher officially demitted office on May 15 after two term extensions.
A statement from the Ministry of Homeland Security noted that Junior Benjamin, who had been appointed Acting Commissioner on February 6, will remain in that position until the PSC formally advises the Ministry of a change in status.
Benjamin, who was also screened for the substantive role, will continue in the acting capacity until Guevarro’s official assumption of duties.
