Lack of funding leads to overtime penalties in Guam
The Department of Labor is fining the Guam Police Department (GPD) $49,500 for failing to pay more than $208,000 in overtime to its employees, according to the Pacific News Center. The GPD blames a lack of officers and funding for the issue.
"It will continue to occur unless one of two things happen - either [government officials] appropriate enough money to operate on an annual basis or give they us the authority to hire more police officers," said GPD captain Mark Charfauros, as reported by the news source.
Charfauros also noted that last year, the amount of overtime funding that was appropriated to the department by the Guam legislature decreased significantly, from $1.6 million in 2009 to $600,000 in 2010.
According to Guam Pacific Daily News, other public safety organizations - including the Department of Corrections and the Guam Fire Department - have also faced overtime penalties. Customs and quarantine officers, firefighters, and corrections officers - among others - have routinely had to wait weeks or even months to be paid the overtime that they accrued.
"It will continue to occur unless one of two things happen - either [government officials] appropriate enough money to operate on an annual basis or give they us the authority to hire more police officers," said GPD captain Mark Charfauros, as reported by the news source.
Charfauros also noted that last year, the amount of overtime funding that was appropriated to the department by the Guam legislature decreased significantly, from $1.6 million in 2009 to $600,000 in 2010.
According to Guam Pacific Daily News, other public safety organizations - including the Department of Corrections and the Guam Fire Department - have also faced overtime penalties. Customs and quarantine officers, firefighters, and corrections officers - among others - have routinely had to wait weeks or even months to be paid the overtime that they accrued.
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