A man of many hats at DPS

As a child, Eric David dreamt of upholding the rule of law as a police officer and lawyer.

Although fate would prevent him from achieving his dream of becoming a lawyer, David has made a difference in Saipan’s police force, holding numerous hats as Crime Stoppers coordinator, representative of the Sex Offender and FBI Background Checks programs, and member of the elite bomb squad and SWAT team.

Notwithstanding his numerous responsibilities, David is also the Department of Public Safety’s public information officer, dealing with the media and members of the community on police matters that are of interest to the public.

“When I was young, I always wanted to be a police officer,” said David, a 29-year-old Koblerville resident.

He had wanted to become a lawyer, but he had to take care of family properties on Saipan after his brothers and sisters pursued higher education in the U.S. mainland. Upon graduating from high school, David pursued his dream of becoming a lawman by joining the local police force.

David became a police cadet in 1994. After over a year, he joined the Police Academy and graduated as police officer 1 after about eight months of training.

Immediately upon graduating from the Academy, the Department of Public Safety assigned David to its patrol section, which he refers to as the backbone of the police force. For three years as a patrol officer, David said he honed his skills in dealing with people.

“You get pumped up with adrenaline when responding to a disturbance. That’s the best thing in being in patrol,” he said.

Three years later, David joined the traffic section and focused on driving under the influence of alcohol cases, with the department ratcheting up its campaign against drunk driving. David said he honed his skills in writing detailed reports as traffic officer for about three years.

While only a few policemen join the boating safety section, David dared to face the challenge and became a boating safety officer in 1999 to 2003.

For David, being a boating safety officer is a very dangerous job as he responds to incidents not on land or highways but on water. He recalled an incident where he responded to a report of a floating body on the water across Banzai Cliff. When he fished out the body of the man, the head was almost half-open and the shoulders were nearly detached.

Everybody has fear,” David said. “But sharks are actually the ones to fear most of all.”

In 2003, he moved to the CNMI Crime Stoppers, where he has been coordinator until now. Crime Stoppers has been instrumental in solving many crimes by opening communication lines to community members who may have knowledge about criminal incidents.

He is also responsible for the DPS’ Sex Offender program that requires the registration of convicted sex offenders, as well as the FBI Background Checks program that performs background checks with the federal government on people applying for firearm permits.

David went though intensive training to become a member of the Tactical Response Enforcement Team, also known as TRET or SWAT, since December 2003. Currently a SWAT team leader, he ensures that his team completes its mission, including serving search and arrest warrants, in high-risk cases.

David also went though bomb detection, recovery and disposal training in 2004 and became member of the department’s newly formed bomb squad, the Explosive Response Team. He has responded to numerous sightings of unexploded ordnance, successfully recovered the explosives, and eliminated the risks they pose to the public.

In October 2004, DPS commissioner Santiago Tudela nominated David to become the department’s public information officer, a position he concurrently holds with other positions. He finds the job challenging, saying that it is totally different from the typical police work. But he said the job entails extra responsibility in making sure that he speaks carefully and accurately in dealing with members of the press and the community.

“Being a police officer is not just a job. It’s an adventure. When you’re interested, you like your job,” he said.

David, who now holds the rank of police officer II, said he finds inspiration from his family. He tied the knot with Tania Peters in 2002. The couple is now blessed with five children: Anthony John, 10; Philip, 7; Anesta, 6; Pheona, 4; and Eric II, one month.