Commissioner of Public Safety, Save Liuato told the House Public Safety Committee yesterday that the only overtime being paid out for police officers is for time worked on the Utulei landslides and flooding last year.
Funding to pay this overtime was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and according to the Commissioner overtime checks were issued two weeks ago.
Meanwhile overtime for last year’s Flag Day and holiday enforcement have not been paid.
The commissioner says they have been meeting with Budget, Treasury and the governor for the past two weeks to identify a source of funding to pay the DPS overtime.
And it’s not just overtime costs that DPS is scrambling to find money to pay.
Commissioner Save told lawmakers DPS also owes several local and off island companies money.
In his testimony Save said the salaries of police officers should be raised.
Tualauta Representative Larry Sanitoa reminded the commissioner about the Department of Labor regulations on overtime.
He said he doesn’t want DPS to experience what it did a few years ago with DOL due to non compliance with overtime regulations .
Sanitoa let the commissioner know that a report from Treasury and Budget showed that DPS had not spent $236,000 of its budget…
A report by the Legislative Financial Officer showed that DPS did not expend $290,000 of its FY2015 budghet.
Sanitoa asked why this money was not used to pay police overtime.
Save seemed surprise to hear of the leftover money in his department’s budget and thanked Rep. Sanitoa for letting him know.
He said he has not rested the last few weeks as he’s been meeting with Human Resources, Budget and Treasury on overtime pay for police officers and to proprose salary increase for some on the police force .
The commissioner said the overtime pay for DPS is a serious matter for the governor and administration .
Fire Chief Clifford Obrien said their overtime is taken as comptime so they don’t have the problem that DPS faces with unpaid overtime.
