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FBI donates 4 vehicles to DPS, OPA
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Posted on Apr 04 2006
The Federal Bureau of Investigation yesterday donated four surplus vehicles worth over $50,000 to the Department of Public Safety and the Office of the Public Auditor.
FBI special agent Joseph Auther handed the keys of two SUVs and two cars to DPS deputy commissioner Juan Wabol and OPA public auditor Mike Sablan during a ceremony at the FBI’s conference room in Puerto Rico.
DPS got three vehicles; OPA got one.
Auther said they usually put up their surplus cars for bidding and turn over the money to the FBI general fund to be used to purchase other equipment.
Auther said that this summer, the FBI Saipan office got three new vehicles and one used car to add to its fleet on the island.
He said they were planning to auction their four extra cars, but Maj. Edward H. Manalili, chief of the DPS Criminal Investigation Bureau, brought to his attention that these surplus vehicles could be turned over to the General Services Administration, which is another federal agency.
GSA, in turn, would farm out the surplus vehicles to local agencies.
Auther said Manalili researched the matter and FBI special agents James Barry and Dana McMahon studied the proposal further.
Auther said they learned that DPS and OPA, which have been working closely with the FBI over the past few years, are short of service vehicles.
“In time of budgetary constraints, it might be a great way to help the local government. And, by the same token, help ourselves by giving them the resources that they need to continue to help us with our cases,” he said.
Mike Sablan said the donation is a big benefit to OPA and to the government as a whole.
“We are not only short of cars, but we’re short of cars that work. Our cars are outdated. In this current situation with our finances, this is a real big benefit,” Sablan said. “It reflects the relationship that we developed with the FBI. I am happy with the relationship.”
Acting DPS police director Greg Castro said they are grateful to the FBI and to Maj. Manalili. Castro said a lot of DPS vehicles go to shops for repair.
“With these cars, hopefully they would help us be more efficient in our work,” Castro said.
