Sgt. Wally Villegomez, acting director of the Tinian Department of Public Safety, told the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee that the department is operating with roughly 11 officers and expects further departures that will reduce sworn staffing to nine or 10, straining patrol coverage and emergency response.

Villegomez said population growth and increased traffic tied to military activity, contractors and new residents have raised call volumes and stretched the small force. He requested funding for 10 additional full‑time equivalent positions, describing them as necessary to “bolster our patrol capacity, improve emergency response time, and ensure comprehensive coverage throughout the island.”

Villegomez described a planned recruitment pathway with the Workforce Investment Agency (WEA), which has offered to fund cadet slots, including training costs and equipment for a limited period (WEA indicated support for roughly six months to a year). The department asked the committee to allow restructuring and rank adjustments so newly trained cadets can convert to police‑officer positions without losing placement in the civil‑service structure.

The acting director also sought a dedicated travel budget for detainee escorts, court hearings and emergency response; he told senators that transporting a detainee to Saipan by air with an escort can cost roughly $10,000 a year in aggregate for such missions and that the department currently relies on the mayor’s office to cover those expenses.

Senators asked about the Governor’s FY26 proposal and the department’s requested totals; committee members pressed for an agreed fiscal impact calculation to ensure WEA‑supported cadets would not leave the department unfunded after temporary support expires. OMB staff confirmed WEA support is available as short‑term funding but that the department should provide a conversion and sustainment cost estimate so the Legislature can plan for long‑term funding during budget deliberations.

Committee members also advised the department to pursue internal promotion announcements and to coordinate with OPM where restructuring is necessary; lawmakers flagged existing executive‑branch directives that limit salary adjustments and asked the department to pursue governor exemptions where appropriate. Villegomez said he would route restructure paperwork and follow up with the committee.