THE Department of Public Safety has limited access to the National Crime Information Center, according to Assistant Chief of Police and Acting DPS Public Information Officer Simon Manacop.
“We do have a couple of personnel who have access to the [NCIC] data. However, they can only perform searches. We are unable to upload documents such as warrants or place alerts,” Manacop added.
In a recent letter, U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds asked DPS Commissioner Anthony I. Macaranas “to open a conversation on expanding the CNMI’s ability to access and contribute” to the NCIC.
She said, “There have been cases in the past where individuals with serious criminal histories relocated to the Commonwealth to avoid prosecution. We need to make sure the CNMI isn’t treated as a safe haven for bad actors.”
In her letter, King-Hinds also asked Macaranas for a status update on his department’s current capabilities.
“I have been in communication with the U.S. Department of Justice to better understand the tools available to assist CNMI in conducting comprehensive background checks, particularly for individuals seeking employment in sensitive roles, such as those involving access to children and minors,” she said.
“This is about making sure our community has the tools it needs to keep people safe, and I look forward to supporting DPS in any way I can,” King-Hinds added.
NCIC is an information system containing records contributed by and accessible to criminal justice agencies nationwide. Its purpose is to enhance officer and public safety, and has been called the lifeline of law enforcement.
According to the NCIC website, it has more than 18 million active records and averages millions of transactions each day, with millisecond response times.
DPS is now gathering information requested by King-Hinds, Variety has learned.
Last year, Charles Lee Dewey III, who fled Indiana after six arrest warrants were issued against him, was arrested on Saipan.
Dewey, also known as Carter Allen Widmor, has been accused of, among other charges, rape and sexual misconduct with a minor. He moved to Saipan in 2020.
A multi-agency federal and local law enforcement task force arrested Dewey, 28, at his place of work at Kagman Community Health Center in January 2024.
After being extradited, Dewey was sentenced to 14 years in prison in Allen County Superior Court, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
