00:00I heard Imam Abdullah spoke about, and I'm paraphrasing here, a particular myth given to the police, a God-sent
00:13gift that was handed to the police for us to ensure that society is safe.
00:19Police Commissioner Alastair Guevara, as he referred to the prayer by Imam Asim Abdullah from the Inter-Religious Organization during
00:28the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service's annual interfaith service at Queen's Hall.
00:33Dear God, we recognize that you are the source of protection, security, and safety.
00:41However, the members of our police service are your instruments by which protection, security, and safety comes to us all.
00:50And so we ask you to inspire the members of the police service, to inspire their hearts, to recognize in
01:00performing their duties with diligence and excellence, that they are in fact serving you and worshiping you.
01:07The police commission also had a divinely inspired message for those under his command.
01:14And it takes me back to when I was about five or six years old, my neighbor was killed in
01:19a homicide.
01:22And the very first cry I heard come out from the neighbors was, oh God, call the police.
01:30Oh God, call the police.
01:32So you see where the police stands in alignment or in alignment with societal norms.
01:40After they look to God, they now look to the police.
01:44So they look to you.
01:46And I want you to take that mantle seriously.
01:48Pundit Anirup Agu focused on leadership.
01:52Example is the greatest teacher.
01:55And so, my dear one and all, we know today that we are living in trying times.
02:01And we know today how difficult it is for the police to execute their duty in a rightful manner.
02:08The police commissioner spoke about an observation made by a recent visitor from the York Regional Police.
02:14And he left Canada to come to Trinidad.
02:16And the first thing he told me is that on New Year's Eve, which we call Old Year's Night,
02:23he observed that I was out and about visiting the officers outside.
02:29And when the media asked the question, why, I said, as a leader, I cannot ask my officers to do
02:36something that I am not willing to do.
02:45So thank you, Pundit Parbu, for reminding us that leadership is by example.
02:52Canon Richard Jacob also offered a prayer for the TTPS.
02:56And so we pray, Lord, that even in this moment, as the TTPS dedicates itself to you again,
03:06that you will be present with every officer, with the leadership, the commissioner,
03:12all those who are responsible for giving vision.
03:17We pray, Lord, that you will inspire their hearts, that you will be present with us.
03:26The police commissioner said, quote,
03:28the police cannot be omnipresent in every part of Trinidad and Tobago to protect citizens, end quote.
03:35So we utilize our citizens, we utilize technology, and we utilize everything that we have
03:42to assist us in giving us that omnipresence.
03:48So despite how well-intentioned we are, we will still get homicides, we will still get robberies.
03:54But because of our presence, and because of our relationship with the public,
04:02we will be able to better police society.
04:04The police services' 2026 interfaith service occurred as Trinidad and Tobago is under a new state of emergency,
04:11which does not include a curfew or limitations on public gatherings,
04:15but does provide expanded powers to law enforcement.
04:20Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
Comments