Rota officers undergo firearms law training

Assistant Attorney General Charles Brasington conducted training on June 4 and 5 to Rota law enforcement officers on the sweeping amendments made to the Commonwealth’s firearms statutes, known as the Special Act for Firearms Enforcement, or SAFE I and SAFE II.

Thirty-five officers from Rota’s Department of Public Safety, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, and Division of Customs attended the training.

The training is part of Attorney General Edward Manibusan’s initiative on law enforcement training, and was done at the request of Rota DPS resident director Eusebio Manglona.

“Continuing education and training is important for the men and women in law enforcement as it helps reinforce community monitoring and trust among law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” said Manglona.

“With the recent passing of the new firearms laws, law enforcement personnel must be educated on the new requirements of the statutes, especially because they are in the front line of ensuring compliance with the law,” said Manibusan.

At the training, Brasington reviewed the requirements in SAFE I and II, which were enacted in 2016. He also taught Rota law enforcement officers about the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms and recent federal court decisions that led to the enactment of SAFE I and II.

The Office of the Attorney General has drafted regulations to implement the enforcement of the SAFE laws. The regulations would ensure that the Department of Public Safety processes and manages applications for Firearm Owner’s Identification Cards appropriately and in a timely manner. DPS is also obligated to conduct background checks on all applicants for Firearm Owner’s IDs and prospective firearm vendors.

In 2014, the CNMI’s then-existing Weapons Control Act was challenged when a private citizen sued the Commonwealth over the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms. The U.S. District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands struck down the statute’s 40-year prohibition against handguns as a violation of the Second Amendment. A second lawsuit challenged, among other things, the Commonwealth’s assault rifle ban, restriction on rifle calibers, and firearm registration requirements. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court held that the caliber restriction and the registration provisions of the Weapons Control Act violated the Second Amendment. (OAG)