At a time when public confidence in the police service is at an all time low, Insp Singh possessed qualities which earned him the trust and respect of people from all walks of life. This was not merely the result of his years of experience–he had been a police officer for more than three decades–but also had a lot to do with the dedication and professionalism he brought to the job.
Insp Sahadeo Singh, who died suddenly on Sunday, was among the remaining few of a disappearing breed of policemen.Operating in a Port-of-Spain crime hot spot, Insp Singh made it a point to stay connected with the community he served. As head of the Besson Street CID, his beat included inner city communities bordering the East Dry River, as well as the slums of Beetham, Sea Lots and environs, where violent gang and drug-related crimes regularly engage police attention.Insp Singh was familiar with and on all these police beats. He could regularly be seen leading and co-ordinating police exercises and patrols. As a result, in all these areas, the residents knew Insp Singh and he knew them.
In a career that spanned three decades, he was known primarily as a crime-fighter but beyond that high-profile role, Insp Singh was also skilled in community policing, using his capabilities as a negotiator and confidante to reach people on both sides of the law in ways many of his fellow police officers were unable to do.His abilities in this area were well utilised a few years ago at a time when rival gangs from Picton Street and Block Eight in Laventille were engaged in a fight for turf. With the body count mounting from numerous violent confrontations, the Picton Street group sought assistance from Insp Singh to negotiate a deal to end the gang war. They said he was one of the few police officers they felt they could trust to accompany them to their rivals' turf for the peace talks.
At a time when public confidence in the police service is at an all-time low, Insp Singh possessed qualities which earned him the trust and respect of people from all walks of life. This was not merely the result of his years of experience–he had been a police officer for more than three decades–but also had a lot to do with the dedication and professionalism he brought to the job.
Of particular interest is the fact that Insp Singh did not start his law enforcement career walking the beat, the usual path taken by successful crime-fighters. He actually started off doing clerical duties before moving into the policing role for which he became well known across the country. He was stationed at Besson Street for several years and at one time headed the Port-of-Spain Divisional Task Force before being put in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the station.
He will be missed by his colleagues in the T&T Police Service who have been flooding social networks with their heartfelt tributes and messages of condolence over the past two days. As word of his passing got around on Sunday, police officers of all ranks gathered outside the private health facility where he died, to pay their respects.
It is clear that his untimely death leaves a void in the police service that will be hard to fill.