by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - The Guam Police Department appeared before lawmakers to discuss various issues facing the agency along with testifying on a bill which would lower the service hour requirements for civilian volunteer police reserve officers to be hired by GPD. During the public hearing on the bill the question was raised whether they receive health insurance benefits.

Chief of Police Fred Bordallo said current Guam does not allow for that, but does provide for Workman's Comp, he adds the reservists know the risk of taking on the job. "I think when you start to look at health insurance the benefits that the full-time officers have then you're getting into a particular situation of can the government afford to provide the civilian police reserve officers who are only going to be temporary employment entitlement," he said.

Immediately following the public hearing on Bill 21, senators went straight into a roundtable meeting to continue discussion on the state of the police department. During the last meeting on January 24. GPD had testified it was not aware of an Office of Inspector General report on the state of Guam public safety. The report submitted to the governor back in November notes that the Guam Police and Fire Departments are not properly equipped or staffed to meet the needs of island residents.

"So there's other things that I think I look at I question in terms of especially when the term the Guam community is at risk," continued Bordallo, "because what's preciously the definition of what they mean is at risk: the number of crime as opposed to how many local law enforcement agencies to include GPD are keeping the public safe in various mission sets that they have here on our island."