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Acting Inspector Corrinne Cuffy officially began her pre-retirement leave on August 15, closing a career that spanned more than 27 years in the police service.
The 53-year-old’s journey was marked by resilience, transformation, and unwavering commitment to duty, with her last assignment being at the Court and Process Unit in the Southern Division.
Raised in Hardbargain, south Trinidad, Cuffy never dreamed of becoming a police officer. Instead, she envisioned herself behind a desk in business administration.
In 1995, she and a friend responded to a police recruitment advertisement and joined the crowds at Skinner Park, San Fernando, hoping to be selected.
She received no feedback for years and went on with her life, even going abroad. But in 1998, on her return to Trinidad, she was surprised by a call asking if she was still interested in joining the service.
“I was hesitant. I didn’t want to be a police officer,” she admitted.
But with encouragement from her mother and a trusted teacher, she agreed.
That decision turned into nearly three decades of service.
On March 9, 1998, Cuffy entered the police training college, and the experience was a culture shock.
“For a whole month, we could not leave the barracks,” she recalled. “We ate whatever they gave us for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The training was meant to break us, to see what we could endure.”
Cuffy quickly learned that discipline was not just about following orders; it was about developing the strength to persevere.
Among a batch of 250 recruits, only 40 were women.
“I did not even know how to starch a shirt before being in training college,” she said, chuckling. “But I stayed because I made a decision, and when I start something, I like to finish.”
From her first posting in the South Western Division at the Fyzabad police station, and later at Siparia, Cuffy found her stride. After requesting a transfer to be closer to home, she served in several stations across the Southern Division, including Marabella, St Margaret’s and Princes Town stations.
A colleague reminded her that she was among, if not the first, female officer at St Margaret’s police station in the early 2000s, when female representation was still growing nationwide.
[caption id="attachment_1174022" align="alignnone" width="684"] Acting Insp Corrinne Cuffy was one of the first women officers at St Margaret’s police station.[/caption]
“When I joined the service, there were already female officers nationwide. Maybe one on each shift back then. As the only female, the male police would take care of us and ensure everything was okay. Everywhere I worked, I had that experience.”
Her journey also led her to units like the Homicide Bureau’s Victim and Support Unit, where she spent 12 years serving in all three regions. She was also a member of the Crime Suppression Unit.
Without giving specifics to protect relatives, she recalled one murder case that stood out. “Sometimes you work hard, trying to bring closure to families, but we just did not get the evidence needed to charge and prosecute anyone. That case stood out. We had no proof.”
She added, “Thank God, I never witnessed a killing.”
Cuffy never shied away from discipline. She was once commended for not taking sick leave for an entire year. This feat was under the leadership of former acting police commissioner Stephen Williams.
“When you come to work and do what you are supposed to do, you have no reason to take sick leave. You ask for time off, and they will give it to you. I had good supervisors, so I did not have any reason to take sick leave. Most of my career, I did not take.”
Despite being on leave, her phone still rings often.
She was also a key organiser of events for the month-long celebration of 70 years of women in policing, which runs from August 8 to 29 under the theme Honouring the legacy, embracing the future – 70 years of service, shielded by faith.
She cited a recent netball match in Pleasantville between female officers and a group of schoolgirls, an early morning march, and a kitchen soup initiative at Harris Promenade, San Fernando.
After the netball match, she mentored the teenage participants.
Cuffy said, “The youngest player was in standard four or five, everyone else was in secondary school. We talked to them about life and what not to do, how it is with peer pressure. With social media, we talked about being mindful of what they put out there and the dangers of vaping. We encouraged them to be leaders and not followers.”
Throughout her career, Cuffy also mentored younger officers, especially women.
Though she has no children of her own, she became a steady hand for many.
Throughout her career, Cuffy brought more than policing to the service.
“I love planning events,” she said. “Even before I studied it, I was always part and parcel of event planning, wherever I worked.”
Her passion for learning led her to pursue higher education.
She earned an associate degree in management with accounting from COSTAATT, a professional certificate in business management from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, and, last year, an LLB from the University of London in collaboration with ILAS. She is now pursuing her Legal Practice Course (LPC), expected to finish in November 2026, with aspirations to practise civil law.
On August 14, her colleagues in the Southern Division surprised her with a heartfelt pre-retirement function at the administration building in San Fernando.
To recruits, she offered advice: “Stay true to yourself. Whatever morals and values you grew up with, hold onto them. Be willing to take advice because we do not know everything. And if you have an issue, seek guidance. Find someone you trust. Always keep God in your thoughts.”
To the public, she encouraged, “Wherever you reach in life, always be humble. Help others when you can. The blessings will come down the road. Share your knowledge. Be sympathetic. People go through a lot and still show up to work and give their best. Sometimes, they just need someone to listen.”
This year marks 70 years since the first women were enlisted into the police service in 1955.
Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro praised female officers as not only protectors but also “trailblazers, role models and pillars of progress.”
For Cuffy, her service may be ending, but her legacy is one of perseverance, mentorship, and transformation, qualities she now plans to take into a new career in law.
 
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