Six (6) police officers were served yesterday with indefinite suspension without pay effective today. The suspension is a result of a violation of the Bureau of Public Safety Regulations that prohibits serving in an elected public office while being a law enforcement officer.
In addition to getting served the notices of suspension, the Bureau of Public Safety removed their police badges and firearms.
The officers were notified twice to submit their letters by December 1 informing the Bureau of Public Safety of their intention to comply with the regulations and to choose either to remain as police officers or as an elected public official.
In a memo to the officers, it stated that to “remain as police officer….thus choose to submit your resignation from the position of a state legislator.” If they choose to remain as police officers, they must submit their resignations as state legislators.
As earlier reported, they had submitted letters expressing their intention to remain as police officers but they have not submitted their resignations from their positions as state legislators.
The affected officers are Lt. Lee Pedro (Patrol), Sgt. Billy Rekemel (Patrol), Chief Jefferson Eriich of Department of Fire and Rescue (FDR), Det. Sgt. Miwa Nabeyama, Narcotics Enforcement Agency (NEA), FF Bow Umedib (FDR), and Scott Chiokai of Maritime & Fish & Wildlife. FF Maximo Marcello (DFR) was one of the officers noted earlier but had since retired.
It has been reported that some of the officers plan to challenge the Bureau’s position. It will not be the first time that Bureau’s regulations are challenged. If they challenge and lose, some of the officers stand to lose decades of service and seniority as police officers.