‘There are people who don’t like me’

Since he assumed the post as Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, Charles W. Ingram has drawn controversy. The most recent however, was the allegation that Ingram almost struck a pedestrian in the early morning of Aug. 29, 1999 because he had one drink too many. Ingram cried foul saying no one tried to reach him for comment before the controversial story was published. Most of all, the DPS chief said he cannot be drunk while driving because he has not touched any alcoholic beverage for the past 26 years. Saipan Tribune reporter Lindablue F. Romero talked to Ingram to clarify some issues in connection with the incident even after the Attorney
General’s Office had vindicated the DPS chief and cleared him of any wrongdoing. Excerpts from the interview:

So much has been said and written about the alleged traffic incident in the early morning of Aug. 29, 1999. Can you enlighten us what really transpired on that fateful morning?

CWI: At about 6:30 pm, I attended the Safe and Sober Foundation Appreciation Night at Dr. Jack’s Bar and Restaurant in Susupe. It was an official function and many police officers were there as well as recipients of awards.

I stayed until around 8:15. I drank maybe two diet cokes and drove to Western Garapan to see if the prostitution activity has increased since the previous week. I checked how the sailors of the USS Debuque were doing. At about 8:45 pm, I parked my unmarked police vehicle near the Koban. I talked to some informants that night and received some valuable information.

I went to check several bars just to see what’s going on, mostly karaoke bars. I walked around Western Garapan and set up surveillance in the target location. This is an ongoing intelligence operation set up by Capt. Max Concepcion and me. It may look unconventional or bad sometimes to see the DPS Commissioner inside a karaoke bar or walking in Western Garapan, but how else would you know what’s going on inside if you don’t look?

At 10:15 I left and took about an-hour-and-a-half nap and then came back at around midnight, to set up surveillance again. The parking area in front of the target area was full at approximately 1 am. I followed a vehicle that left the area. It went south on Beach Road, passed Horiguchi building. I tried to get close enough to the vehicle to get the license plate number which was moving away from me at a high rate of speed. I was traveling in the outside lane, passed the intersection of Beach Road and Quartermaster Road when I saw a male pedestrian in the middle of Southbound lanes walking from East to West toward the beach. I swerved to the left to avoid hitting the person. It is my obligation, and my responsibility to avoid colliding by swerving. He continued to walk across the street and that was the last time I saw him.

There was an off duty policeman behind me who thought he had to report something he observed. He called the radio, called the license plate, on the radio.

I proceeded South and turned around San Antonio and stopped my car. I was talking on my cell phone when a police car pulled up beside me and I rolled my window down. The officer on duty asked me was I alright? I said yes, I’m alright. I then asked him what was the problem and he said there was a complaint about the manner in which I was driving. I told him that I was trying to dial the cell phone and drive at the same time that’s why I pulled off the road. So basically, there was a reckless driving complaint made which came out unfounded.

Why do you think there was so much controversy about the alleged traffic incident? Do you think there are people out to get you?

CWI: Yes, not only in my department. There are people out there who don’t like me. During the first few months, I was feeling my way around but the press was giving me or the department some negative press.

I guess since my appointment as Commissioner, I’ve been controversial. When I assumed the post, there were some changes that needs immediate attention both in personnel and management.

I inherited a number of problems. My first priority was to upgrade DOC, another priority was to reduce overtime without reducing services. Some apparatus or equipment were very old and falling apart. The police division had some problems with resources such as manpower. But we are taking care of the problems, slowly but surely.

We are not going to waive a magic wand all over DPS and miraculously all the problems will be resolved. I have to get the support of the people of the CNMI and the Legislature. Whenever I make a decision that affects personnel of DPS, it can be controversial, most especially if it is an adverse action. What I want the people in the department to remember is that there is a chain of command that must be followed. DPS personnel have higher standards and we must be disciplined. We have life and death situations put to us everyday so we have to make split second decisions.

There are some loose factions, some of them within the department, some of them outside, that do not like change. Unfortunately, they feel that the rules do not apply to them at all.

Would you say that there was a deliberate intent by some people within the department to embarrass you since the story was published in the newspaper even before the police could make an official report?

CWI : Yes, I believe, there is a very small group of people that have personal axes to grind because either there have been some adverse actions against them.

Right now, there is an ongoing investigation in connection with the incident because it only proves there was a security leak. Somebody in my department had leaked to Marianas Variety on Sunday at about 8 am the information that was sketchy at best. The person who was privy to the information called up that newspaper which came out with an article as if it came from a reliable source . It was of course impossible because the port was not written until Monday afternoon. This presents a problem to me because it only shows that the level of security is very very low.

What do you think you have that makes you too controversial?

CWI: My management philosophy is to be fair to everybody. However, if there is a complaint against you and it has been sustained, then you have to take the punishment. I really don’t want to mete out punishment, but in a para- military force, you have to give accolade to people that deserve it and punish those people who should be punished.

I got a lot of problems with some politicians, wanting to manage for me. My position here is I am the responsible person, they are not so, I still have to do it my way. If I’m wrong, I can apologize, I can go back and rectify. Sometimes, I make mistakes. I am not perfect, I am a human being.

Amid limited budget, how can you continue providing effective services to the public in order to ensure safety and security of the community?

CWI: I can do that by shifting priorities. We have to commit to patrol to make things safe on this island 24-hours a day. We have to cover any kind of emergency that will happen at anytime night or day.

We are currently using overtime again but if they would give me the overtime money and let me hire police officers, then we will reduce overtime because we would then have sufficient personnel to cover this island.

My long range plan is to almost triple the size of the criminal investigation unit. I have a police cycle going on now so when they come out, that will augment the force by 25 more people. With then, I would be able to put back some people to some specialized units where I had to pull them out.

I have a criminal investigation unit that has only one guy, but I cannot have the person work seven days a week, 24-hours a day because the person will not survive. But the crooks don’t sleep.

I want the public to know that DPS is out there and the Commissioner making sure that they are safe as we move around in the middle of the night.