By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Felix P. Camacho says Guam’s “crime rate has gone down as the presence of law enforcement has gone up” due to “shared sacrifice.”
In his fifth State of the Island Address yesterday, Camacho pointed out that the Government of Guam has been hiring more uniformed officers and giving them the much needed resources to further reduce crime on Guam.
He said he will sign an executive order that would put a freeze on hiring and overtime pay government-wide, with the exception of those in public health, welfare and other critical government operations.
According to the governor’s communications director, Shawn Gumataotao, the Guam Police Department falls under the “critical services” exclusion.
Recently appointed Chief of Police Paul Suba said their goal is to help reduce costs for the government, including reducing the opportunities for a crime to take place.
“This could cut costs in the court system and the Department of Corrections. If there is no victim, then there is no crime,” Suba told Variety.
Camacho, in his speech, touched on the establishment of a new forensic crime laboratory. The governor thanked Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice F. Phillip Carbullido for working with his administration to make the construction of the laboratory possible.
In January, Carbullido arranged to refinance the Judicial Building Fund and donated $5.9 million to GPD for the construction of the island and the region’s forensic crime lab.
The construction plans for the lab should be completed by the end of this month or early next month. Although the courts will be paying for the construction, GPD will have full control of the lab once it is completed.
Camacho also cited the ongoing construction of the new Dededo Police and Fire station. According to Suba, the project contractor informed him that the construction will be completed by mid-March but he thinks the construction could be done by the end of March or early April.
“The contractors can prove me wrong,” Suba said.
In his speech, the governor also cited the nearly completed construction of the new Emergency Operations Center in Agana Heights. The project commenced last year.
“Our homeland security efforts have gained national recognition. In a few months, the largest anti-terrorism exercise in the world will be held here. Guam was chosen to take part in the TOPOFF4 because of our aggressive approach to increase our preparedness and strengthen our emergency management systems,” Camacho said.
He added that the exercise will highlight Guam’s strategic value and will show to the world that Guam is prepared to defend itself and the nation from any threat of terrorism.