‘DPS resources are stretched to the limit’

With resources stretched to the limit, the Department of Public Safety could not assign police officers to direct traffic at busy intersections where signal lights are still down after Typhoon Soudelor’s devastation.

DPS Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero also disclosed to Saipan Tribune yesterday that due to limited manpower, he has requested assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

Deleon Guerrero said the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office was able to issue an emergency disaster authorization in order for DPS to use Corrections and Customs officers just to accommodate all disaster-related assignments.

All normal DPS operations are suspended whenever a disaster occurs.

After Soudelor, substantial amount of DPS resources and other Commonwealth agencies have been integrated into the Incident Command System as established under the Unified Command Structure of the CNMI Emergency Operations Center.

“We basically break the department’s manpower in half to satisfy whatever disaster assignments may come about,” the commissioner said.

Right now, Deleon Guerrero said, they are assigning police officers to assist the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. at the five water distribution sites.

Each of these sites, he said, requires about three to four police officers, depending on how big the water distribution site is.

“Their job there is to maintain peace and order,” said Guerrero, adding that they also assigned police officers to escort fuel tankers as well as deployed officers at some gas service stations.

“All of those are done in the interest of maintaining peace and order,” he said. “In essence, what’s happening here is that our resources are stretched to the limit.”

The commissioner said they have to range their priorities in order for the protection of life and property, in addition to worrying about the day to day things that come in to the department.

Deleon Guerrero said they also escort military personnel that are assisting the rehabilitation recovery efforts.

He said they escort the release of food and water supplies, while some are also assigned at the Disaster Recovery Center.

“This is not assigning a single officer at each of these things, sometimes depending on the size of the problem,” the commissioner said.

Looking at their priorities, Deleon Guerrero said, directing traffic is one of those at the low end of their priorities.

“We just don’t have enough officers to be able to accommodate that,” he said.

As of yesterday, there was no report of major vehicular accidents at traffic intersections on Saipan.

“We’re still in the recovery period. To be honest with you, none of us have been taking days off since we started this operation. We work every day,” the commissioner added.