Macaranas makes emotional appeal for DPS support

“At night I can’t sleep thinking of my officers.”

This was the sentiment shared by Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas when he appeared before the House Standing Committee on Ways and Means for a budget hearing last Tuesday.

Macaranas emotionally pleaded with the members of the House panel to help him provide officers with the resources needed to remain safe while carrying out their role in keeping the CNMI communities safe.

Initially, DPS submitted a budget request of $9.2 million to the Office of Management and Budget under the Office of the Governor.

However, the Office of the Governor proposed a budget of $5.6 million for DPS.

“The department currently needs a lot; from training, to equipment, to personnel, even to body armor that our officers need, there’s a lot of needs. Even at night, I can’t sleep thinking of my officers. Just over the weekend, a report of a citizen firing a gun randomly, not knowing if it’s toward another person or an officer. I am responsible for the community and these officers. I just want the department to have everything it needs to meet the demands of the community,” he said.

Macaranas expressed that his priority is funding training for officers.

“I need my officers to be in sync with today’s challenges. There’s a lot of things happening and yes funding is an issue. In the old days, they tell us to think about tomorrow and not to worry about today, this is what I’m doing, I’m thinking about our tomorrow. [I’m trying] to be an effective leader because the lives of our officers are under my watch,” he said.

Macaranas also sought the Legislature’s help in tackling a long-standing issue for the department; traffic fines paid to the court that should be benefitting DPS.

“The other things that hurts me is the fines the courts continue to hold that can benefit the department. I came in in 1986, I left in 2022, nothing has changed in respect to seeing some of those fines that will help the department with some of the costly resources that we need from materials to equipment. Every sweat dropped by our officers on the streets only benefits the courts. I ask you to please help me,” he said.

Macaranas also asked for the Legislature’s support in making his plans to put up substations in remote villages (like San Roque and Kagman), become a reality.

“I cannot continue to sit idly by and look at this department that is still falling apart. We try to patch it up piece by piece while working within our means. We’ve cut down hours from 12 to 8 and with that, the department struggles to meet the demands of the community. I plan to open up substations in San Roque and Kagman just so I can ensure a constant presence of officers, but with the lack of [funds] to hire more officers and equipment needed to open these substations, these prevent these plans from pushing forward. Those are the things I wish I could have now to better serve the community,” said Macaranas.