It’s Police Week and each division of the Department of Public Safety will have their own activities to celebrate their special week.
For example, the Traffic Division will hold a “Family Day” to be followed by their “Click it or Ticket” campaign, next week.
The Criminal Investigations Division will join a wave near police headquarters in Fagatogo, during the week.
In proclaiming the week of May 15th-21st, as Public Safety Week, Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga urges the territory to join in commemorating law enforcement officers, fire, civilian personnel, commissioners, past and present, “who by their faithful and loyal devotion to their communities, have established for themselves the rights and security of all citizens of American Samoa.”
Lemanu says, police play a huge role in safeguarding the rights and freedom of citizens.
Currently police officers are working 12-hour shifts for normal police duties, as well as the enforcement of emergency declaration rules for COVID.
Reflecting on changes in police work in the territory, a more than 20-year police veteran said, a traffic stop nowadays almost always leads to the discovery of drugs.
The officer said, more support is needed to eliminate the current drug problem in the territory as DPS can “only do so much”.
Another issue is the increasing number of vehicles causing congestion and making existing roads inadequate.
“This causes traffic jams given the limited roads, but its good that its evident short cut roads are under construction at the moment to alleviate traffic,” observed the officer.
