‘New prison needs more personnel’

The Department of Public Safety disclosed Thursday that it would be needing additional personnel to man the new correction facility, which is due to be completed by May 2005.

In a report submitted to Gov. Juan N. Babauta, DPS commissioner Edward Camacho said that, although new correction officers are now in place, the facility would be needing more when the prison facility begins to operate fully by next year.

“The new prison facility is projected to finish around May 2005, not as previously scheduled. The new correction officers are now in place, thank you for the reprogramming of funds. This prevented prison problems of all sorts. But we will need more upon the completion of the prison,” said Camacho.

He added that the police department is in critical need of new officers as a result of losing law enforcers to schools, retirement, resignation, and termination. Camacho also said that the department is now working on a Just Compensation Program for DPS personnel.

The commissioner also asked Babauta to help the department procure an additional 14 to 16 patrol vehicles to replace several that have been in and out of the auto shop for repairs and maintenance.

Camacho also said that DPS would need funding assistance for its E-911 system that is being proposed.

“Community demands on DPS is growing and resources continue to dwindle. We need help financially to meet the public demands,” said Camacho.

According to the governor, he had promised DPS that there would be more reprogramming of funds in the future, particularly on the next budget cycle. Babauta said the administration is looking at extending financial help to the department to address its shortfall.

The DPS incurred at least $900,000 shortfall in this budget cycle and Babauta said the government is looking at ways on how to extend the needed funding assistance.

“We are going to work with the commissioner to ascertain the realistic funding level needed by the department,” said the governor just before leaving Sunday for Washington D.C.

Babauta said the issue was also taken up with the Legislature, when he met with members of the 14th CNMI House of Representatives Thursday.

“They recognized the fact that over the years, these two agencies [DPS and Department of Public Health] have essentially operated at a certain funding level. They recognized also that we have to make adjustments in the next budget cycle to reflect the cost of running these two agencies,” the governor explained.

Babauta stressed that so far, the CNMI government is meeting its revenue target, although his concern is that the administration is working on a continuing resolution and a budget ceiling of $213 million.

“We are taking hold of necessary actions to live on $213 million. We need to do budget cuts, we are reprogramming funds from the master tobacco to address overruns by DPS and the Department of Public Health. The projections are okay because we immediately set aside the $10 million for the debt service bond. Our revenue reports does not reflect that,” he stressed.