Marine Patrol Chief Nofoaiga Ulberg and staff of the Marine Patrol Division of the Department of Search and Rescue are seeking the assistance of senators to return their division under the Department of Public Safety.
They sent a December 20 letter to Senate President Pro Tem Senator Magalei Logovii, with copies to Senators Togiola Tulafono and Gaoteote Palaie, asking them to help transfer marine patrol operations under DPS. They said that they can no longer work in “a toxic environment” and humbly ask that the division be transferred back to DPS, allowing them to continue to carry out their duties as law enforcement police officers.
They claim their continued employment is questioned when they advise the Director and his deputy directors about decisions which will hurt the their division and continued funding from the U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Safety Grant.
The letter lays out several concerns relating to the use of grant funds intended for Marine Patrol.
The group alleges that a grant for Marine Patrol is being used to pay overtime for Fire and EMS during the holiday enforcement. When the director and deputies were advised that this could jeopardize the grant their response was, “there are ways to do it,” said the letter.
Regarding the new Marine Patrol headquarters, the letter says a Source Evaluation Board met on December 15 concerning the project and the lowest bidder came in at $600,000. The headquarters and the sub east station for marine patrol are budgeted at $800,000, the letter said. Since the sub east station project was cancelled due to a pending legal matter, the Marine Patrol Chief and staff are questioning why funding intended for the that project cannot be used for the new headquarters.
According to the letter, Director of the Department of Search and Rescue Utumoe Alefosio and Deputy Director, Mosese Lomu, made the decision to table the selection of a contractor, citing that there are not enough funds for the project. This is an ARPA-funded project and is time sensitive, as December 2026 is the deadline for all ARPA projects to be completed. The letter points out that Marine Patrol operations are still in an unsafe area, with very limited space to maneuver boats when responding to emergency calls.
There are also allegations of abuse of grant-funded equipment.
A Boating Education vehicle was being used by administration staff of the Director’s Office for transportation between home and work. This vehicle was purchased specifically for the Boating Education Outreach Program.
Another vehicle for the Marine Patrol Division is being used by someone who is not a Marine Patrol law enforcement officer,
The letter also claims that Misifoa Umi, who is not a police officer and not an employee of the Marine Patrol Division, has instructed employees to take the alia catamaran police boat, Siren, to Aunuu to be stationed there with one of the jet ski’s. However, there has not been any statement in writing as to Umi’s role and why he is assigned to the Marine Patrol Division. It was pointed out that Umi was appointed verbally by Director Alefosio and supported by Deputy Directors Mosese Lomu and Akenese Nikolao to oversee the Marine Patrol Division.
The letter says there are only 11 employees in the Marine Patrol Division working two 12-hour shifts. If the main vessel, Siren, is stationed in Aunu’u, this will leave just the 21-foot Zodiac, to serve the entire islands of Tutuila and Manu’a.
The letter states that the wharf in Aunuu is also unsafe for the Siren. “Once this boat is down, there will only be one vessel serving Tutuila and Manu’a.”
The Marine Patrol Chief and employees also state that they are being made to enforce fishing regulations, an area of enforcement lies with the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. They said this changes the scope of work for the Marine Patrol Division, whose focus is boating safety and search and rescue.
