DPS - Department Of Public Safety

DPS - Department Of Public Safety Division Of Administration And General Support Division, a U.S. government entity representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, receives federal grant funding for territorial public safety programs as a prime grant recipient across law enforcement, highway safety, boating safety, and criminal justice coordination. The entity does not hold federal contracts and does not function as a contractor or subcontractor; it operates exclusively as a recipient of formula grants and project grants from federal agencies.

DPS's grant portfolio spans nine federal customer agencies, concentrated in three primary areas. Highway safety dominates by award count—the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funds 27 awards covering Section 402 State and Community Highway Safety grants (CFDA 20.600), Section 405(B) Occupant Protection grants (CFDA 20.616), and Section 405(C) Traffic Safety Information System Improvements grants (CFDA 20.616). The U.S. Coast Guard funds 17 awards under the Boating Safety Financial Assistance program (CFDA 97.012) supporting recreational boating safety education, enforcement, facility acquisition, and search and rescue. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) funds 11 awards under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) supporting commercial motor vehicle safety inspections, driver training, and enforcement. The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs funds 9 awards under the Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program (CFDA 16.750) for sex offender registry operations and compliance monitoring across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program (CFDA 16.710) funds 6 awards for law enforcement hiring and community policing capacity, with a recent $848,391 project grant (awarded October 1, 2024, ultimate completion September 30, 2029) supporting mental health crisis intervention training, virtual reality officer training technologies, officer wellness programs, and school safety enhancements.

Recent representative awards illustrate the grant profile. NHTSA awarded $974,425 under Section 402 (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029) and $133,753.51 under Section 405(C) (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029) for behavioral highway safety programs and traffic records system improvements. The Department of Justice Office of Sex Offender Sentencing awarded $400,000 (March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2029) for sex offender registry operations, supporting a program manager and five law enforcement officers across the three islands conducting SORNA compliance checks and community notification activities. The U.S. Coast Guard awarded $816,473 under the Boating Safety Financial Assistance program (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028) for boating safety education, enforcement personnel training, public access site acquisition and repair, emergency and search and rescue facilities, and recreational vessel numbering and titling.

DPS's award activity has grown modestly over five years—six awards in 2022, eight in 2023, eleven in 2024, and nine in 2025—with one award obligated in 2026. Ten awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing potential recompete opportunity for renewal funding. The entity also receives subawards routed through the Criminal Justice Planning Agency for drug enforcement task force support, with subawards awarded July 27, 2025, April 12, 2024, and April 8, 2024. Combined dollars obligated across all awards total approximately $35 million. Work is performed in the Northern Mariana Islands, with administrative oversight and place of performance identified as Saipan and the sister islands of Tinian and Rota.