Newly-elected president of the Police Service Social and Welfare Association Sgt Anand Ramesar says he will support the appointment of a foreigner as commissioner of police.
Moments after his appointment, Ramesar said whether or not a foreigner was appointed, the Police Service would have no choice but to work with him. Ramesar, an attorney, who has ten years' service, won the election by a landslide with his team called "Police Empowerment Party." The 39-year-old officer said he would throw his support behind a foreigner, adding that he intended to work with anyone who was appointed. "If a foreigner is appointed, then we intend to work in partnership with him...I would support whoever is appointed," Ramesar said.
Ramesar is the legal adviser to Central Division. He previously worked as the legal adviser to the Police Complaints Authority and was also assigned to the Homicide Bureau and to the Fraud Squad. Asked what was the consensus among police officers over the presumed appointment of a foreigner, Ramesar said there was a division in the ranks.
"Some officers would support the appointment and others would not," he said. "There is some division among the ranks...I don't believe it is to the extent where officers would wilfully stay away from duty." According to Ramesar, another issue of contention was a $400,000 deficit which was incurred, after the opening of a gas-station by the association in Laventille. "One of my first commitments is to review the books regarding the deficit of the gas station which amounts to some $400,000," he said. "We need to sort out that matter urgently."