Scores of youths in several hotspot communities in Port-of-Spain yesterday rejoiced over the passing of police inspector Sahadeo Singh. Sea Lots residents, who held a block party, dedicated it to Singh’s death. Singh, 58, who was assigned to Besson Street Police Station, succumbed to a stroke on Sunday while at Medical Associates, Chaguanas.
He was described as an exceptional officer by acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, and an ace crime fighter by all of his colleagues. However, while the T&T Police Service (TTPS) was plunged into deep mourning over Singh’s death, there was a vast contrast among the residents of Sea Lots, Beetham Gardens and comminutes in the Laventille hills, including Canada and Beverly Hills, which fell under Singh’s jurisdiction.
Many of them described Singh as a wicked man, who often came into their communities armed with a sledge hammer and crow bar which he used to break down the doors to their homes during police raids. Sea Lots resident, Harvey Adams, 49, said he was one of the many of Singh’s victims. “Singh real advantage poor people. He came to my place and mash it up for no reason several times. The kind of things Singh did to me personally, he lucky he died such an easy death. Last night (Sunday) the DJ made announcements all night that Singh died. We celebrated his death that he was no longer here to harass us,” he added. At Beetham Gardens youths there described Singh as a pest. Beetham resident Curtis Alexander, 22, said it is not good when someone die but did not hesitate to describe Singh as an “outta timing police”.
“He used to come in Beetham and break up all of our stuff in our house. He did it to me a lot of times. I heard that he had died three times before by bullets but now I know that he is surely dead,” Alexander said. Community activist Kenneth “Spanish” Rodriguez extended condolences to Singh’s family and the TTPS. “I was held for seven days during the State of Emergency but I don’t have any bad complaints about Singh,” he said. While at Beverly Hills, the youths shared similar sentiments as those of Sea Lots and Beetham. Some claimed that Singh was very close to Dillon “Bandy” Skeete who was gunned down on Thursday night at Desperlie Crescent, Laventille. They claimed Skeete was one of Singh’s informants. Skeete had been identified as a suspect in the murder of Lance Cpl Kayode Thomas who was killed in Laventille on July 29.
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In 2009, subsequent to a stand-off between residents of Picton Street and police, residents praised Singh and his officers for keeping the area in order. Singh, residents said, was a man who never cursed or harassed anyone. They said he was a man who would come into the area and do his job, without fear and failure.
The youths of the area had called on Singh, during that time, to accompany them to Block Eight so that they could negotiate and end the gang war in the area. They believed in him, as he was also well respected by all.
TTPS’ communications officer, Joanne Archie, in her immediate reaction to Singh’s death on Sunday, wrote on her Facebook wall: “We have just lost a devoted and committed trooper. This officer was dedicated and loved his job with a passion. You were one of a kind.”
On hearing the news messages poured in from officers who worked with him. A military funeral service will be held for him at 9.30 am tomorrow at 168 Main Road, Caparo. The cremation will be at the Waterloo cremation site.