DOC chief recalls service firearms

Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres has recalled all service firearms that were issued to Corrections officers, in the wake of allegations that one of the officers has been charged with pointing his service weapon at his significant other.

Torres confirmed Friday that he has recalled all service-issued firearms, pursuant to a review of DOC firearm policies in the CNMI.

“I recalled all the service-issued firearms because I am currently reviewing the policy pertaining to it. This is the first Department of Corrections that I am aware of that has service-issued firearms for all sworn personnel,” he said.

When asked about allegations that a DOC officer used his service firearm to threaten a significant other, Torres neither denied or confirmed the allegation.

“You would have to refer to [the Department of Public Safety] for the information related to who was charged,” he stated.

Saipan Tribune did check with DPS, but it was unable to immediately confirm the allegation.

Torres also reiterated that the CNMI Department of Corrections is the first correctional facility he has served at that allows its officers to take home their service firearms.

Anthony Torres

“Allow me to clarify, sworn personnel here have service-issued firearms, but this is the first institution where they have been allowed to take it home. I recalled all of them and I am reviewing policy. They have access to it when on duty at work and assigned to a special unit or when escorting inmates out of the institution,” he said.

Nationwide, police officers are usually the enforcement officers authorized to take home their firearms, not DOC officers, Torres explained. In light of this, Torres said he wants to thoroughly review the CNMI’s policies regarding service firearms, specifically for DOC.

“Police officers nationwide, I believe, are allowed to take home their service-issued weapons. Correctional Officers, on the other hand, don’t in the mainland. They are armed when supervising or escorting inmates outside of the facility. The officers don’t have the service-issued weapons to take home with them, whereas police officers can take them home,” Torres said.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Torres has extensive experience as a Correctional officer in the U.S. mainland, starting his law enforcement career in 1999 as an Adult Correctional Officer for the Department of Public Safety at Halawa Prison in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2002, Torres was a correctional officer for the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Detention Center Honolulu.