Long standing concerns from lawmakers and the public over unpaid overtime for police officers were among the many issues that dominated Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson’s confirmation hearings in both the Senate and House.

And some legislators believe that because of the government’s policy for controlling overtime, it has prevented the Department of Public Safety from ensuring that there is a sufficient police force protecting the community, including the annual end of the year holiday enforcement in 2016.

Last year’s road blocks, which are a part of the holiday enforcement, were canceled, with then Police Commissioner Save Liuato Tuitele telling Samoa News in late December that the cancellation of the annual roadblocks came after a notice from the Governor’s Office emphasizing the need to set strict limits on the amount of overtime accrued during the holiday season.

When asked during his confirmation hearings about overtime for police officers, Le’i informed lawmakers in both the Senate and House that currently overtime is well controlled. He explained that the DPS budget, as approved by the Fono, is reviewed and expended accordingly.

Le’i explained that if police work overtime, and there are funds allocated for it, then officers should be paid on the next pay period. For officers, who accrued overtime during the DPS holiday enforcement, Le’i said there was a delay in getting it paid because of changes to processing of such matters at Human Resources Department and the Budget and Planning Office.

He also said that he keeps reminding his finance people to follow the law and “stay on top” of payments to ensure overtime is paid on the next pay period. “There shouldn’t be any issue when it comes to paying overtime,” he said adding that the “key” is the “funding source” to pay the overtime.

For example, if there is federal money allocated for traffic enforcement, there shouldn’t be any problem in paying overtime, he said, adding that he believes there shouldn’t be any more problems with the overtime issue going forward.

Le’i, who served as ASG Human Resources director during the last four years, also told lawmakers that it’s not right to hold back overtime when there is a serious situation in which the safety of the community is in jeopardy and police must respond.

He acknowledged that the DPS annual budget is not sufficient, but at the same time, head of DPS divisions are urged every day to look at their budgets, review and make adjustments if necessary and this includes adjustments to work shifts.

And because DPS doesn’t have enough money in its budget, police officers buy their own uniforms, he said, adding DPS needs more personnel including police officers. Le’i promised that the pay scale for officers would be fully reviewed as well as their ranks during his tenure.

With the right pay scale, as well as having the proper equipment to respond to the needs of the community “we can hold them [officers] accountable for their performance,” he said.

The governor’s Jan. 25, 2017 memo reaffirming cost containment policies, first implemented in 2013, reiterated the issue of “overtime”, which states in part that an agency with 24/7 services will ensure that appropriate shifts are established to guarantee no overtime will be incurred.

“If overtime is necessary based on thorough justification of the need, approval must first be obtained from the governor prior to incurring of overtime,” the memo emphasized.

OTHER ISSUES

Other issues lawmakers called on Le’i to look into are buses and taxis violating laws on the highway, with one lawmaker saying that drivers of buses and taxis think they own and control the road. Another issue is roadside fundraising with people on the side of the road soliciting money, despite a law, which bans them from being next to the road.

And there was a request for Le’i to research into the possibility of separating the DPS from the Territorial Correctional Facility, freeing up officers to deal with police work, and the DPS Fire Bureau. Le’i was asked to look at whether these two divisions of DPS can be established to be on their own.