CoP wants to split Northern Division

POLICE Commissioner Hilton Guy said yesterday the Police Northern Division, which encompasses Arima, Arouca, Tunapuna, Curepe, St Joseph and parts of Caroni, should be split into two divisions so crime control in those areas could be better managed.

Guy expressed his opinion during a special luncheon at Officers’ Mess, Police Headquar-ters, to honour two veteran officers — Deputy Commissioner of Police Alexander Charles and Snr Supt Lloyd Coutain — who have retired from active duty. Commissioner Guy also used the occasion to hand out Letters of Promotions to four officers. Two other promoted officers were not present yesterday. The promoted officers were Winston Cooper, Nazamul Hosein, Nevin Wilson, Philip Carmona, John Travajo and Barnet Mayers.

Cooper and Hosein were promoted from the ranks of Senior Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Wilson and Carmona were promoted from Superintendent to Senior Superintendent while Mayers and Travajo, were promoted from Assistant Super-intendent of Police to Superintendent. Commissioner Guy said he felt Northern Division (where Coutain was last posted) had too large a population and geographic area to be under the jurisdiction of one Senior Superinten-dent. “This has been one of my more troublesome Divisions and I feel it is high time it is split into two separate Divisions so that the police can more effectively manage the levels of crime.” Currently Trinidad and Tobago has nine Police Divisions, with a Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of each divisions. They are Northern, Eastern, Central, Western, North-Eastern, Port-of-Spain, Southern, South-Western and Tobago.

Guy told Newsday while he was expressing a personal opinion, the Ministry of National Security ultimately had the power to make the necessary changes to Northern Division. First Division officers applauded loudly when Commissioner Guy welcomed Senior Super-intendent Randolph Protain back into active duty. Protain had been on leave for some months dealing with a private matter. He will be head of Eastern Division from Monday. Commissioner Guy also thanked Alexander Charles and Lloyd Coutain for giving yeoman service. Charles has served for 41 years, while Coutain has been a policeman for the past 31 years.