Just one day after KUAM’s story about Guam’s Police Chief Stephen Ignacio responding to a letter from Senator Chris Barnett—an all-out brawl broke out in Tumon. 

Before police could make an arrest, those involved scattered, despite the precinct being only minutes away.

"I think staffing all the precincts around the island to levels that are just adequate—that reflect the risks that our communities are facing,” said Sen. Barnett. 

Barnett says he’s not satisfied with Chief Ignacio’s assurances. 

In his letters, the senator recognized progress in hiring 129 new officers, but says relying on future recruitment cycles is not enough when violence is happening now.

"I think it’s important. The chief has to be a little more creative—but I don't think he should touch programs that benefit our youth in the schools like d.a.r.e and citizen academies…At the end of the day, all the divisions in GPD are working really hard. I think we have to look at agencies like the park police to augment some of the shortages with our Guam Police Department officers,” said Barnett. 

The senator warns that a diminished police presence in Tumon not only undermines safety for residents and tourists—but also erodes public confidence in law enforcement islandwide.

"With insufficient staffing in that area—it is a risk to the officers when we have insufficient manpower responding to incidents like that,” added Barnett. "We shouldn’t have these riots, people running amuck—and when you see that video, it really hits home why I wrote those letters."

For Barnett, the recent brawl proves his point. 

He says GPD must act decisively to strengthen staffing across all precincts and ensure a consistent, visible police presence where it’s needed most.

Senator Barnett says he’ll continue pressing for immediate action—arguing that waiting for new recruits to graduate is not a solution, but a dangerous delay.