Hofschneider supports DPS’ request for more counselors

The Department of Public Safety is requesting to have additional counselors who would assist police officers from the stress they receive from patrolling the streets and keeping the community safe.

This was the item that stuck on Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) during the budget hearing for DPS last Tuesday at the Senate chamber of the Jesus P. Mafnas Memorial Building. Hofschneider is the Senate Fiscal Affairs committee chair.

Hofschneider said he looked at DPS Commissioner Robert Guerrero’s budget proposal and was pleased to see that there’s an item there that the department wants additional counselors. DPS currently has one counselor. It wasn’t mentioned how many counselors they would need to assist the police officers.

“Counselors are a very important element of their workforce especially with the activity and job that they do for the community. Theirs is a round-the-clock job, they come in different forms, they encounter all sorts of things that none of us here has any idea what they go through,” Hofschneider said when interviewed by members of the media after the budget hearing.

Counselors who would be hired would get an annual salary of $70,000. DPS is requesting a budget of $6,281,838 for fiscal year 2017, which is $3,347,585 higher than the $2,934,253 they received last year. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has proposed a budget of $4,883,890 for the department.

“But DPS, basically, supports the budget given by the governor. Last year, we supported the salary increase for all police officers because of the nature of their job do not correlate with the money and the compensation that they were receiving. We’re glad that the administration fully supported this,” said Hofschneider.
Torres is looking to invest more on the safety and well being of the police officers where he hopes to provide them with additional body armor and bullet proof vests whenever they are on duty or patrolling the streets.

Hofschneider said this is essential to the police force especially after the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands declared unconstitutional the CNMI’s gun control law that prohibits all residents from obtaining handguns for self-defense purposes.

“It is important that we must take care of them and give them much support as we can. These are the things that they need to prepare for because of the new development in gun control laws in the CNMI. First and foremost is the safety and well being of our police personnel,” added Hofschneider.

The Legislature is also willing to help DPS with its vehicle problems since it is another component of how they serve the community. The CNMI government provides patrol cars to the police while Federal funds are used to purchase vehicles of the traffic section.

Acquiring patrol cars, however, was not included on the proposed budget. “Still, we need to assist [DPS]. It is a different section for patrol vehicles and we need to supply that if there’s a request for vehicles. That also goes the same for Tinian and Rota,” said Hofschneider.

“That is something that we’re taking into consideration, depending on their request. I’ll be meeting Tinian DPS and agencies, next week,” he added.

Hofschneider also reminded that DPS should continue with their efforts on the war on ice. “They must not scale back on our efforts as a community to combat ice. They must reinvigorate the DARE program, partner with adolescents, and teach them the bad effects of substance abuse.”

“They need to reach out and get the youth involve and should also sponsor sports programs. Creating a positive output in the law enforcement.”

Corrections

Last week, Department of Corrections Commissioner Georgia Cabrera faced the committee and the senators were surprised that she was satisfied with Torres’ proposed budget of $4.05 million that was lower by more than $600,000 from their request of $4.7 million.

Sen. Teresita Santos (R-Rota)—who was the acting chair back then—along with Senate vice president Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan), and Sens. Justo Quitugua (Ind-Saipan), and Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan) wanted to increase the salaries of all correction officers.

Corrections officers in the CNMI only receive $16,000 a year but should have been $25,000 including overtime pay, night differential, and hazard pay. The officer to inmate ratio is also 1:4.

The committee advised Cabrera to reassess her department’s budget request so they could include all the things that they would need.