by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Police Chief Fred Bordallo doesn't want police cars that lack fully operational systems to be used by officers to respond to emergencies. Two cars at the Frankie E. Smith Precinct and a Tahoe at the Agana Precinct don't have working sirens or PA systems to alert motorists while on the road. The precincts have been forced to utilize the ill-equipped vehicles because they don't have enough working cars.

The chief however has made it clear that units with mechanical issues are not to be used for response and must be fixed immediately. "These patrol cars have to respond in certain codes and sometimes in one of the codes they have to operate with both sirens and lights working so we have procedures that if there is one or the other defective they are to bring that up to the shop so fleet maintenance can work on it," he said.

Bordallo says the officers can also utilize motorcycles to respond to emergencies. The department currently has more than 21 vehicles that have been deemed inoperable leaving the four precincts and highway patrol with a shortage of working cruisers.