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Manpower shortage, outages, school opening make cops’ job more difficult
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Posted on Sep 09 2008
The manpower shortage, coupled with constant outages during the first days of public school opening, has been draining the Department of Public Safety’s staff that even police officers from the Boating Safety and Armory section are being deployed to the streets.
DPS police operations chief Capt. Lawrence Camacho told Saipan Tribune that they are currently facing a shortage of officers because some were deployed to the Middle East, but the frequent outages and the school opening is making it more difficult for them.
Camacho said they have been monitoring the traffic flow at schools that experienced traffic congestions in the past. These included Hopwood Junior High School, Garapan Elementary School, and San Vicente Elementary School.
The police operations chief said the eventual opening of four other schools—Marianas High School, Kagman Elementary School, Koblerville Elementary School, and Oleai Head Start—would pose another challenge for DPS with respect to monitoring traffic in those areas.
Camacho said the frequent outages have also prompted DPS to assign traffic police officers at major traffic intersections on the island. He said officers from Patrol, Boating Safety, and even from Armory are also being fielded in the streets.
“It’s very difficult. What if there is a distressed boat going on?” Camacho said.
He said he would just summon whoever is available under his command to assist in responding to complaints on the streets or in villages.
“I usually use Armory and Boating Safety officers to cover the space when there are other complaints, to pick up the slack when Patrol and Traffic officers are busy,” Camacho said.
He said they are really hoping that the police academy is done so they can utilize the new graduates.
The police captain said the first two days of school opening of public schools went smoothly except for some complaints of traffic congestion, especially when it is raining.
“If it is raining we don’t deploy our officers because it is very risky for them, too,” Camacho said.
