Previous Story
Hardworking detective? Yes
Murders, found (and unfound) bodies, crystal meth dealers and users, marijuana believers, never ending burglaries, robberies, and fisticuffs gone wild? Where’s our cops? What’s going on? Are we safe? For all the crimes against people and property our community is experiencing and the perceived negligence by DPS, I’d like to believe it is slowly improving. But this I do know: in all of this mess the Criminal Bureau of Investigation as a whole is doing a fine job. CBI is undermanned, overworked, and overwhelmed yet the hardworking detectives, day in and day out, go unheralded. How to fix it?
DPS chief James DL Guerrero is currently begging the lawmakers for FY 2016 budget of $7.2 million. They, in turn, think to shortchange him (again) by proposing only $4.5 million. What the heck? Fix it like this: reduce the desperately seeking legislators’ bloated budget ($5.5 million) by half or rent-a-lawmaker status even better; that’ll free up, say, $2 million-plus and voila, there’s Chief Jimmy’s match. How about reducing by millions that $6 millio to Rota. Why? That’s the fastest vanishing island on the planet with about 2000-plus residents and getting smaller as I write. Think. They had $4 million last year and some of it blew off paying wages to casino commissioners when no casino existed for over two years! What?! Today, with less inhabitants than last year, they want more? Hara kiri. More holes in bucket, if anyone asks you. Waste of public funds in other areas (budgets) is so overwhelmingly bad it’s beyond laughable but we won’t go there in this commentary.
As for the detectives, Catherine B. Pangelinan, in my book, is one of, if not the, finest in CBI. How do I know? Her swift investigation on my case nailed the thief who stole my stuff and got him arrested and jailed. He now faces charges in court. And, oh yes, in conjunction with my case, I’ve learned that the islands can look forward to an all new and revitalized Office of the Attorney General and their hardworking and dedicated staff. Need assistance? Go see Heather Barcinas and the other AAGs, they’ll do the job you’d expect. Of better things to come? Indeed!
Lee Andersen
via mail
