FORMER chairman of the Police Service Commission (PolSC) Nizam Mohammed has called on the authorities to urgently address tensions between the public and police, flagging increased mistrust in the justice system after the police’s issuing of arrest warrants for Kaia Sealy.Mohammed said while he did not want to be “alarmist”, there was rising sensitivity in the particular case of Sealy and her common-law husband Joshua Samaroo, who were both shot by police on January 20, 2026 in St Augustine after a chase.Sealy was paralysed and Samaroo was killed.Police last week announced a series of warrants against Sealy (who is abroa), including for manslaughter of Samaroo, alleging that she had fired at officers. The incident sparked a series of protests in support of Sealy which continued on Sunday with about 200 people.At the latest protest, organiser Allyssa Phillip said Sealy was being used as a “scapegoat” and called for the resignation of Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro.Speaking on TV6’s Morning Edition yesterday Mohammed warned of an increasing divide between the population and governance.A former speaker of the House and MP, he said there was a responsibility by a number of institutions, including the Government, to address issues between the public and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). Mohammed recalled a protest in Port of Spain on Sunday, in which citizens called for justice for Sealy and answers from the TTPS. He noted the “grassroots” of the country was becoming involved in governance matters.Mohammed said the public was also asking relevant questions, such as when Sealy was considered a person of interest in the case. He said during the time that Sealy was hospitalised under police guard following the incident, there was an impression that it was for her protection and not because she was a suspect.Mohammed said the impact of the justice system on the public was also legislative and T&T was governed by its Constitution.He questioned the length of time since the Samaroo shooting and recent developments, stating that the investigation “took an inordinately long time”.Mohammed noted that at the outset of the matter, the public would have seen video footage of the incident between the police and the couple and would have come to its own conclusions. He said the authorities should have treated the issue with more diligence and urgency to prevent escalation of concerns. Mohammed cited the public’s “grave concern” and overwhelming public opinion that the charges against Sealy were “shocking”. He also said he was yet to be convinced that law enforcement and administrators had a full understanding of what was taking place.Mohammed said Sunday’s demonstration showed that people were acting with spontaneity to ask questions, and the authorities were “duty bound” to address the issue.He added that people were asking fundamental questions, which they were entitled to ask. He stressed that T&T could only become a free society by adhering to the rule of law, morality and spirituality.He said the country’s leaders and institutions were creating a disconnect with citizens.He said this particular incident has brought the relationship between the public and the protective services “to a head”.“Time has run out,” Mohammed said, reiterating a call to the authorities to address the matter.Mohammed said Sealy was a woman, a mother and was paralysed, and would face manslaughter charges and a jury trial. He questioned whether any jury in T&T, having looked at the shooting footage (which was not all the evidence but was the trigger), would find Sealy guilty of anything. He predicted more tensions ahead.People getting ‘restless’He said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decides on actions based on evidence provided; however, doubt has to be removed from the mind of the public. Mohammed said the administration of justice crosses every boundary and the matter needs to be addressed cohesively and collectively. He warned that governance cannot turn its back on the feelings of the people, and the disconnect was growing at a rapid rate.Mohammed said the PolSC does not have a role in this matter, in the same way as the Police Complaints Authority (PCA). He also asked what was delaying the investigation, stating that the people were getting “restless”.He said work had to be done to reconnect the public and the TTPS.He recalled that under former police commissioner, the late Dwayne Gibbs (T&T CoP from 2010-2012), model police stations were established. He said these stations were now locked up and out of use, while proper facilities at existing stations were still lacking.He said police officers from top to bottom should be taught to relate to the public, criticising a “high and mighty” approach by some leaders in law enforcement.