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DPS seeks stronger ties with the community
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Posted on Nov 09 2000
Business owners and residents in Garapan yesterday held a dialogue with the police yesterday in a move to reduce the crime rate in the tourist district.
According to Maj. Clyde Norita and Police Officer Jason Tarkong, the meeting served as a venue to launch the program dubbed as Community Oriented Policing (COP).
“We would like the community to become partners of the police in identifying concerns instead of just calling 911 and leaving everything to the police,” said Mr. Tarkong, who is the officer-in-charge of the bike patrol program.
During the meeting which lasted for more than an hour, over 50 business owners and residents complained about prostitution, theft, purse snatching, illegal parking, illegal dumping of garbage, trespassing to name a few.
Businessman Juan Guerrero asked what the police force has been doing to stop the criminal activity on the island. “Sometimes it is not worth reporting all these criminal activities anymore,” he said.
Historian Sam McPhetres noted the operation of organized crime on the island which includes prostitution.
While some expressed skepticism during the meeting, many of those who attended commended the police for organizing the dialogue which they said should become a monthly gathering.
“We want them to be our partners in looking for solutions to these problems. We want to get away from the usual police procedure by making them pro-active in solving community problems,” said Mr. Norita.
Although the COP program has been going on in the US mainland, the CNMI has just started implementing it on the island. The program will also be established in Rota and Tinian.
The eight members of the bike patrol team which is stationed in Koba will be meeting every owner of the business establishment as well as residents to ask them about their recommendations on what can be done to improve the community.
“This is one way of enhancing the relations of the police in the community. We may have community volunteers to work with us later on so that they could help provide updates on certain cases to the neighborhood,” Mr. Norita said.(LFR)
