THE Commonwealth Ports Authority police may soon have law enforcement authority, thanks to a House bill that was unanimously passed by the Senate recently.
House Bill 22-20, House Substitute 1, authored by House Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan T. Attao, would amend the Commonwealth Code to clarify the ports police’s authority, power, and recognition as a CNMI law enforcement agency.
Unlike their fellow Customs officers, ports police officers do not possess the authority to arrest individuals in the act of committing a crime within port jurisdiction, the bill states.
Ports police officers are barred from detaining a perpetrator until the proper authorities are present for proper detainment, proving to be very problematic in the event a Customs officer is unable to be present at the scene.
Such circumstances need to be rectified by providing the ports police officers with the proper law enforcement authority to ensure better protection at all Commonwealth ports, the bill adds.
During the public comments portion of the Senate session, CPA-Ports Police Assistant Chief for Operations Juan Rebuenog, who has served as a CPA-ports police employee for more than two decades, urged the senators to pass the bill.
“The bill very clearly empowers our department and increases the capacity to fulfill our mission statement in safeguarding life and property, preserving the peace, preventing and detecting crime, enforcing the law, and protecting the rights of all citizens,” he said.
Moreover, he said the bill will ultimately strengthen law enforcement at the ports, and therefore, throughout the entire CNMI.
H.B. 22-20, H.S. 1 now goes to the governor’s desk for action.
Blas Jonathan T. Attao
