POLICE Officer 3 Thomas Blas is the new coordinator for the CNMI’s Crime Stoppers Program.
“I feel excited. It’s a challenging job for me. I’ve got more responsibilities but I am willing to face them. I will coordinate with the board (of the Crime Stoppers), the media and other law enforcement agencies,” Blas told Variety yesterday.
Blas said it was Deputy Public Safety Commissioner for Administration Franklin Babauta who recommended him to the nominating committee of the Crime Stoppers board of directors.
Babauta asked to be replaced as Crime Stoppers coordinator after he was promoted as deputy commissioner.
Yesterday, Phillip M. Dennis of Crime Stoppers International, Inc., and CNMI Crime Stoppers Board Chairman Jim Arenovski conducted a presentation about the program.
Arenovski said Dennis could answer questions from police officers regarding the program.
Arenovski said they wanted to make sure that any question about Crime Stoppers could get an answer directly from the regional coordinator. As a retired police major, Dennis had 14 years of experience with the Guam Police Department.
“It is best to have someone who have been there to relate with the process in solving crimes and the frustration in solving crimes,” Arenovski said, adding that to make the program successful there should be participation from the media, the community and the police.
Before, according to Dennis, investigators had to knock on doors to look for information.
But with the Crime Stoppers Program, people can now call in to provide information, Dennis said.
He said the program is important because it cuts down manpower and time in conducting investigation.
“In law enforcement, you cannot guarantee anonymity, you could talk confidential but not anonymity,” said Dennis, adding that Crime Stoppers coordinators don’t know the identities of the callers.
He said on Guam, there is a law that makes Crime Stoppers information “privileged.”
“It means that anybody on the board or the coordinator who is releasing the identification of the caller can be charged with third degree felony,” Dennis said.
