SAIPAN — Saipan Mayor Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho called on residents, nonprofit groups and ethnic community leaders Friday to join him in confronting a rise in theft and copper wire cases that he said is compounding the hardship families already face from Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
Speaking at a press conference in his office, Camacho said he has been receiving calls day and night about crime in the municipality, with theft making up the majority of the complaints. “Crime is rampant, and let’s not wait for a serious victim of a crime in our community,” he said.
Camacho said the burden of the typhoon was already heavy enough. “It’s enough that we’re all suffering, and let’s not add additional problem that we are facing already,” he said. He urged residents to look out for one another, saying the problem can only be solved if the entire community works together.
The mayor pointed to home theft as a particular concern. With many residents displaced by the storm and sheltering with family or friends, he said personal belongings left behind at damaged properties have been targeted. “It’s not right to go out there and start taking those personal belongings to the victim of the typhoon,” he said.
Camacho also raised the theft of copper wire, which he tied directly to power restoration. He said stolen wire has left the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation scrambling for supplies and unable to restore power to some residential areas, making residents victims of the crime as well.
The mayor renewed an appeal to recycling companies to stop accepting materials without proper identification, saying he had met with recyclers earlier and wanted to remind them again. “I want to see you continue to operate your business by following the law,” he said, warning that buying stolen property could lead to a business being shut down.
Camacho said he spoke with the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety on the morning of the press conference and questioned whether officers assigned to guard government property, generators and designated shelters could be reassigned to patrol the villages. He said he wants to see officers more visible in the community and other government agencies used to safeguard those sites. NMI News Service has reached out to DPS for comment.
On recovery operations, Camacho said June 1 is the final day to register for tents and roofing cover through the Mayor’s Office. The office will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with registration at the Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center on Sunday and back at the Mayor’s Office on Monday, the last day. Residents who cannot travel to the office because of transportation issues can call to arrange for staff to collect their information.
Camacho said the Mayor’s Office has become a central hub for assistance at FEMA’s request, with staff helping expedite tent and roofing applications and residency certifications. He said he rented a tent, tables and provided drinking water so applicants would not have to wait outside, and that SBA and FEMA representatives are working from the office.
Addressing social media criticism, Camacho said his office received a 40-foot container from Frank the Crank filled by people in Guam, but that about three-fourths of its contents had been pre-arranged for groups to distribute. He said the remaining one-fourth, along with another container, is being inventoried in his warehouse for distribution, and offered to open and document the warehouse contents. He said he plans to distribute relief at several parts of the island at the same time to avoid the long vehicle lines seen at past distributions.
The Mayor’s Office can be reached at 670-234-6208.
