Although this morning’s session was intended for Police Chief Steven Ignacio to present the Guam Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, it was only after the comprehensive plan was outlined and the numbers were reviewed that it became apparent the department's manpower is a concern. 

“Right now if you look at your 2025 situation in terms of your current manpower, you are by law 106 officers short of your 70% by law mandated police force.clearly you are going to be in a situation where MAULEG will be triggered for some time,” said Ignacio. 

As we reported, it was Sen. Chris Duenas' Bill 250 which aimed to restore community safety by forming a Multi-Agency Unified Law Enforcement Group or MAULEG. 

Now law, it is to address the critical shortage of police officers on Guam, providing immediate support when staffing levels fall below 70%.

Ignacio provided an update, saying, “The MAULEG group if you will, has met a minimum of three times already, one was the first initial meeting which was required by law to take place within 30 days of enactment, we've had follow up meetings, then I turned it over to the investigations bureau because MAULEG will be folded into the special investigations sections or what's known as our narcotics unit.”

Through those meetings it was realized the group would need office space to accommodate the 12 officers. 

“The park police's participation, their director, deputy, and Chief Joey from Park Police, they’ve identified an office space,” said Ignacio. 

The office will be in the heart of Hagatna and work is being done to stand it up.

Ignacio adds it is moving along, saying, “I have a draft MOU on my desk, it will be a single MOU between GPD and the different agencies that make up the MAULEG group,”

“Once I get the names of the officers that are coming from the other agencies, because they will be sworn in and deputized as a Guam Police Department officer. I have to meet the needs of a GPD officer. I have to make sure they have a background check, a psych eval, if they have one through their agency, we can adopt that. But not all follow the same standard as GPD,” added Ignacio.

The close to three hour hearing covered many questions and concerns from lawmakers and we will continue to break it down.