‘DPS plagued by low morale’

The transition team assigned to look into the Department of Public Safety has concluded that the department has been suffering from low morale under the leadership of former DPS commissioner Robert Guerrero.

According to the transition report for DPS that was submitted last Jan. 3 for the review of governor-elect Arnold I. Palacios and lieutenant governor-elect David M. Apatang, the general disposition of DPS officers has been characterized by low morale, based on interviews conducted with DPS personnel.

“The Department of Public Safety was under the command of commissioner Guerrero for almost eight years. Based on the transition team’s interviews with DPS personnel, both past and present, the general disposition at DPS was one of low morale, brought on by retaliation, nepotism and cronyism, political discrimination, micromanagement, and training deficiencies,” the report states.

The report alleges that officers who launched complaints against Guerrero’s “inner circle” were more often than not punished.

“If officers were critical of the commissioner’s ‘inner circle,’ or lodged complaints, they were often punished by being posted to undesirable locations or assignments, or even transferred to another department or agency,” said the report.

The interviewed personnel, the report states, felt and witnessed that the commissioner favored those related to him by providing them with extra benefits.

“Police interiewed felt Guerrero favored those related to him and those who were in his ‘inner circle’ with overtime, job promotions for those who were less qualified, travel, and other rewards,” it said.

In addition, the transition team, led by Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan), found that all DPS personnel were asked and expected to show up to political rallies, no matter what their political affiliation was.

“While DPS personnel are supposed to be non-political at the office and during working hours, police officers interviewed complained that they were asked and expected to show up to political rallies and gatherings,” the report said.

Also, the report alleges that most DPS sections were placed under the immediate command of Guerrero and were supervised by those in his “inner circle” causing mistrust within the department.

“Sections such as the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Internal Affairs, Boating Safety, and Logistics were placed under the immediate command of the commissioner through his ‘inner circle’ and would report directly to him. Officers who worked in these areas reported they had trust issues with their supervisors and would often refrain from speaking up for fear of retaliation,” the report said.

Lastly, the report said DPS officers complained about training deficiencies brought by the lack of proper training opportunities.

Overall, the transition team found that Guerrero had no law enforcement experience or training prior to taking charge of DPS, disrupted the department’s command structure by appointing 14 assistant chiefs and placing certain sections of DPS directly under his control rather than under the director of Police, and turned DPS into a political tool and created a hostile, politically-charged environment that was stressful for many officers.

“Guerrero was known to pressure officers to attend political campaign events, and targeted them for retaliation if they were perceived to not be in political alignment with him and the Torres administration,” said the report.