On Monday, Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga appointed Save Liuato as Acting Commissioner when outgoing Commissioner William Haleck resigned, and on the same day a memo went out regarding personnel changes made within the Department of Public Safety by Chief of Police Tauese Va’aomala Sunia. These changes have left many police officers disgruntled.

In a memorandum issued on Monday, Tauese pointed out that he was proposing “some personnel changes that I feel may better improve our Police Services Operations.” The changes were to be effective on January 5, 2015 at 4p.m.

According to the memo that was leaked to Samoa News, Police Captain Pou Supapo is relieved of her duties as the Commanding Officer for the Tafuna West Substation to continue her duties with the Internal Affairs Unit.

According to Tauese, “this is to avoid any conflict when investigating any departmental internal matter,” while “Police Lieutenant Ruta Letuli will temporarily oversee operations at the DPS Substation in Tafuna and will report directly to the Chief of Police.”

Tauese also moved Police Lieutenant Siaosi Aiono from the Traffic Division as the Commanding Officer in charge and he’s to report to the Police Captain Lima Togia at the Central Station for his new assignment.

Further changes, indicate that Police Lieutenant Tolia Solaita has been transferred to the Traffic Unit as the Commanding Officer and will report directly to the Chief of Police, and two Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division, Vasa Wells and Alisha Godinet are now re-assigned to the Patrol Division. Wells is now slated to be working at the Central Station while Godinet has been assigned to work at the Leone Substation.

Police officers, who did not wish to be identified, contacted Samoa News complaining that there is a shortage of manpower within the CID, who are currently tasked with investigating the shooting of the Leone substation as well as the recent shooting that injured a police officer last week in Lepuapua.

Samoa News contacted CID Commander Lavata’i Ta’ase Sagapolutele who said he was disappointed about the memo being leaked to Samoa News and refused to talk to Samoa News about the matter.