Corrections officers seek Legislature’s help

Another petition is being circulated at the Department of Public Safety, with officers reportedly seeking redress through the help of the Legislature.

House Rep. Clyde Norita disclosed yesterday that the ongoing review of the DPS’ problem would now include the Corrections Division after Corrections officials informed the House of Representatives of an ongoing petition drive.

Norita said Correction officials informed the House Tuesday morning that the petition would be submitted to the Legislature once all signatures are collected. This is on top of a previous petition circulated within the department and submitted to the House.

“We received calls today [yesterday] from the Correction’s that there is another petition drive going on because they were not included in the first petition that was filed at the Legislature. So the division circulated another petition so that the Legislature could help them also with their problems,” said Norita in an interview.

According to the lawmaker, he advised the Corrections officers to put their problems on paper and bring it to the Legislature to ensure that these problems would be included in the ongoing review of the department.

“The House Committee on Judicial and Governmental Operations is still waiting for the monthly report of all divisions and agencies under the police department. We are hoping that these reports would help us expedite the process,” said Norita.

He added that the House leadership met with Sen. Pete Reyes to discuss the problem and House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial had welcomed the Senate’s help in addressing the problem.

“The Speaker said that any assistance from the Senate is more beneficial to the CNMI. We met with them for a possible joint oversight on this matter,” he added.

Last month, over 80 percent of DPS personnel and officers submitted to the Legislature a petition seeking assistance on various concerns affecting the morale and quality of work of police and fire officials.

At least 160 officers signed the petition that was circulated within the department and its divisions for a month.

It asked the Legislature to look into what the officers described as “personal feuds, vindictive condition, and disagreements occurring between the members of the DPS upper management.”

The police and fire officers said the morale of frontline officers is already at rock bottom because of these. Petitioners are officers from the DPS Criminal Investigation Division, Special Operations, Bike Patrol, Traffic Division, Boating Safety Section, COPPS, and fire division.

The petition alleged that Commissioner Edward Camacho was informed of the problems and working condition at the DPS but he failed to act on these problems until it affected majority of the police and fire officers in the service.

The problems cited include personnel shortage, vehicle shortage, lack of police and fire uniforms, lack of training logistic, and lack of gear and equipment.