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Norita: DPS overtime will increase
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Posted on May 26 2008
The Department of Public Safety is expected to incur more overtime costs with the expected deployment of 32 police officers and firefighters to the Middle East in July 2008.
DPS Commissioner Claudio Norita told Saipan Tribune that the departure of the personnel means that the department will be consuming overtime to cover the officers that are gone.
“The overtime will increase between July and August 2008,” Norita said.
Overtime compensation may go down again starting September because by mid-August 20 police cadets and 16 firefighters are expected to complete training, he said.
DPS has significantly cut its overtime costs due to lack of budget.
Norita has been pushing to immediately begin the academy as the 32 police officers and firefighters are reportedly leaving for Kuwait by July 15, 2008.
He encouraged all people who are interested to become police officers and firefighters to get the forms from the Office of Personnel Management.
Aside from 20 police officers and 15 firefighters, DPS is also hiring five civilian dispatchers.
Norita said the hiring of civilian dispatchers would relieve police officers from answering 911 emergency calls; instead, they will be assigned to the field.
Police officers and firefighters who have received the U.S. Army Reserve’s call to active duty represents nearly 20 percent of the police and fire workforce on Saipan.
Norita earlier informed Gov. Benigno Fitial that this deployment call would create a manpower drain in the police and fire workforce.
