Macaranas is acting DPS chief

Retired police officer Anthony Macaranas has been named acting commissioner of the Department of Public Safety following the abrupt resignation of Clement Bermudes.

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios issued Monday a memorandum to all agency and department heads and all DPS personnel informing them that Macaranas will be the acting DPS commissioner until further notice.

“Effective Jan. 30, Anthony I. Macaranas will be hereby designated as the acting Department of Public Safety commissioner until further notice. Please extend your full cooperation and assistance to Mr. Macaranas as he assumes this responsibility,” the memorandum states.

Macaranas had actually just been named deputy commissioner of the Department of Corrections last Jan. 8. With his return to DPS as acting commissioner, this leaves DOC without a deputy commissioner.

DOC Commissioner Anthony Torres said in a statement Monday that he fully supports Palacios’ decision, even if this has left him again without a deputy commissioner.

“As DOC commissioner and Cabinet member, I 100% fully support our governor and his decision to assign deputy commissioner Macaranas as the new acting DPS commissioner. I will be looking to fill the deputy role at a later time. I am in no rush to fill it,” he said.

Ever optimistic, Torres said this assignment is a big win and gain for law enforcement for the CNMI.

“Anthony and I processed this and came to the conclusion that this is not a sad or bittersweet move for us, but a huge win and gain for law enforcement in our Northern Mariana Islands. His qualifications, experience and leadership qualities will enable him to serve effectively in this important role,” he said.

Macaranas served as a law enforcement officer for over 30 years before he retired in 2022. It remains unclear is he has come out of retirement, or if he is performing his new duties as DPS commissioner pro bono, which he did as DOC deputy chief.

Torres said that, with Macaranas at the helm of DPS, the Commonwealth “will see a great partnership and collaboration never seen before” between the two departments,

“We’ve worked together for almost a month and cultivated a great relationship. Our visions are aligned. …There will be no more barriers, impediments and obstacles moving forward as we work together to rebuild trust,” he said.

Anthony Macaranas