DPS happy with Senate budget version

Happy with the Senate’s version of the CNMI government’s budget for fiscal year 2016 that allots more to law enforcement agencies, Department of Public Safety Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero is urging the House of Representatives to adopt the Senate’s version.

Deleon Guerrero told the media last week that he was briefed that the Senate has actually passed their version of the government’s budget for fiscal 2016.

“Their version of the budget is obviously much more substantial in terms of providing an increase to our department’s budget submission,” he said.

Last Tuesday, the Senate unanimously approved the budget for fiscal 2016, which has major changes in the appropriations, particularly for DPS and other law enforcement agencies.

The Senate’s version will now go back to the House for another round of review.

Deleon Guerrero said he does not believe that the Senate gave DPS everything that they asked for, but that at this point they are happy with the Senate version.

Deleon Guerrero asked the House to adopt the Senate’s budget version in terms of type of increase that has been allocated to DPS.

Based on what he gathered from preliminary information, the Senate’s version will allow DPS, for example, to get the additional 20 police officers that the department has been asking.

Deleon Guerrero said the Senate’s version would also allow the department to retain the Information Technology staff that is currently onboard.

The commissioner underscored the importance of the IT staff considering that they have three systems in the department and that each of those actually cost over half a million dollars to acquire to begin with.

“We need to have the capacity to maintain the systems,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero said the Senate version will also finally allow DPS to hire a counselor.

“With the loss of a couple of officers attributed to a very unfortunate circumstances, we want to do everything we can do to possibly prevent those incidents from occurring. That counselor is a much needed help for the staff for the employees of the department,” he said.

DPS also included a salary increase in its budget submission that went the Office of Management and Budget.

However, Deleon Guerrero said when they had a particular hearing with both House and the Senate, they did a summary of what they consider top priorities.

The commissioner said they are grateful that the Senate took the salary increase into serious consideration because it’s an issue.

He cited that they have police officers who have been serving in the department for almost 20 years now but have not gotten any salary adjustments.

“It’s insane. Sometimes it angers me just talking about this because something has to be done,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero said he is not asking for a pay raise for himself or any top level management but for the subordinates or “for the people down below because it’s ridiculous.”

“I will continue to fight for salary adjustments for the men and women in this department for as long as I’m the commissioner,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero is hoping that as revenue base expands once the casino industry gets into full operations, DPS will get additional funding.

“We are asking for additional resources so that we can keep up with the challenges that come along with the development of the gaming and the tourism industry,” he added.