Elected officials recognize that better police response and more police presence across the island could help to deter crime. More than a dozen villagers attended the first in a series of Town Hall meetings on Public Safety held at the Dededo Senior Center Friday evening.

Among the issues expressed to local leaders include stray animals, homelessness, public nuisance, and abandoned vehicles. Attendees each shared common frustrations over the way the Guam Police Department has dealt with certain problems over the years.

“I think that needs to be educated back to your officers, to perform your job first and that is to respond and answer the call, “said Joseph San Nicolas, Dededo resident and retired Guam Fire Department Fire Chief. “There's got to be a responsibility for the police officer to come out and answer the complaint. Whenever you call 911, what’s the use if no one is going to answer your complaint?”

During the meeting, GPD’s Sgt. Paul Tapao admitted part of the problem is that officers are spread thin doing multiple duties while responding to calls. However, he agreed that officers should remember to prioritize whenever getting calls from the community.

“As minute our officers might think your call or complaint is, it should not be that way,” said Tapo. “As officers, we are trying , we’re implementing this approach into which every complaint or call, we’re going to make sure it's entertained by the Guam Police Department with availability officers….we’re working to rectify that.”
Another common frustration several expressed is the lack of police presence in the neighborhoods, which they feel is adding to the rise of crime and unease in the village.

Public Safety oversight chairperson Sen. Chris Barnett agreed crime in the village could greatly be reduced with a greater police presence, despite GPD struggling with staffing shortages and limited resources.
“You’re right, we can’t have enough police presence if we don’t have enough police and it’s a struggle but we have to provide the basics.” said Barnett. “To me, it’s not rocket science, the more police presence you have, the more police visibility the more it deters the criminals to become very brave and they’re able to do things because the patrols aren’t around. To me, it’s tragic that we can’t provide that.”

Additionally, Sgt. Tapao admits that with the large population in Dededo, GPD should have seven to eight police officers out on patrol. Currently, they only have a maximum of five per shift for the Dededo Precinct Command.

“For every precinct has one dispatch officer, one supervisor, and or five officers on patrol. We made mention that the population of Dededo, which in the Northern area, the Dededo precinct has to cover, that’s about 75,000 people,” Tapao said. “Gone are the days where we had additional officers to fill them out where we have the full beat coverage.”

Tapao used this opportunity to announce GPD’s a new police cycle consisting of 16 cadets who are expected to begin patrolling by the end of the summer. “We are now finishing and vetting 40 officers that are going to start another cycle and we’ll be starting another cycle once we get those 16 officers on the streets,” he said.

He adds the police department is the only other GovGuam agency that continuously issues employment announcements, explaining they’re trying to hire enough to be able to provide full coverage to better patrol the island.