COM 0139.002 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hawaii County Council March 14, 2003 Page 3 women's locker room has men's lockers in it due to insufficient space. Their computer room in is the size of a utility closet. Words alone cannot describe the cramp quarters that the Puna officers are faced to contend with. The Puna district is the most dangerous district for our officers to work in, and is compounded by the poor working condition at the station. Anew police station should be built in this district to service the 31,335 citizens that live and work in this community. The South Kona police district has approximately 10,000 residents according to the 2000 census report. North Hilo and Hamakua has a combined population of 7,800, North Kohala 3,249, and Kau 3,699; all these districts have fully manned stations. The South Kona district extends from the 116-mile marker to the 84-mile marker (32 linear miles). For some residents the main station is 40-miles away. The South Kona district is patrolled with only 2 officers on every shift. There is no sergeant or supervisor on duty in this district on any shift. This district spans 884 square miles and is the largest district on the island. Comparatively, it contributes the most in property taxes and has the largest dollar amount of ongoing construction. The Kona police district needs to be separated into two districts to provide the caliber of service that is required. Anew station should be built and fully manned for the district of South Kona. Better communication should be established between the County Council and the Police Department. The Police Department should keep the council members apprised of new developments within the department and the communities. It should also inform the council of the department's financial needs and projects that are being planned for the future. The Council should ask for the department's recommendation when it is planning for the future of the department. By establishing stronger communication between the County Council and Police Department, the people of our county will be better served. We ask that the members of the County Council give our recommendations serious consideration when planning for the upcoming budget. The financial support that we ask you to consider is vital in providing a safer Hawaii County for our citizens. As our island grows we need to increase the protection of our citizens and guests to our island. We thank you for giving us this opportunity to appear before you to present our recommendation for the 2003-2004 budget, and we believe that you will do what is in the best interest for our county.