2023-08-31 Police Commission Regular Minutes

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Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes August 31, 2023 Page 2 year. DUI arrests for the month of July 2023 are 67, compared to 67 in June 2023. For the month of July 2023, a total of 4,160 citations were issued: 2,739 for moving/regulatory, 332 for seat belts, 17 for child restraint, and 1,072 for speeding. Commissioner Quartararo inquired about high-traffic crash areas. Major Bird discussed potential measures like increased police presence and collaboration with highway authorities for design improvements. Commissioner Quartararo asked about the time it takes to implement recommendations, and Major Bird noted that it can be challenging to achieve quick turnarounds. Commissioner Quartararo inquired about clearance rates, specifically mentioning the report's 10 unsolved murders. Acting Major Amaral clarified that clearance rates may relate to incidents from the past year or even several years ago, as cases can be sent to the prosecutor's office or go through a grand jury process and there was an arrest. Therefore, the numbers may not align precisely and can show significant percentage increases. Clearance, in this context, refers to when they arrest and charge someone or the investigation is sent to the prosecutor's office. Chair Robinson asked if the difference in burglary rates between Area 1 (33) and Area II (16) could be attributed to a higher population in Area I. Acting Major Amaral, formerly in charge of Puna Patrol, indicated that while he couldn't provide a specific answer, he noted that most burglaries occurred in the Puna district due to its rural nature, large acreage, and older subdivisions that provide more opportunities for criminals to go unnoticed. Chair Robinson inquired about clearance rates for burglaries, noting that in Area I, there were 4 cases with 4 clearances, while in Area 11, there were 19 cases with only 1 clearance. He questioned the discrepancy, considering that more cases occurred in Area I. Acting Major Bird explained that not all cases are cleared in the same month they're reported; some investigations take time to develop, and cases may be sent to prosecutors. Acting Major Amaral clarified that clearance rates are related to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), but many burglaries are solved at the patrol level and don't get sent to CID. Chair Robinson also asked if there's a report showing the dollar amounts and specifics of these crimes. Acting Amaral mentioned that individual officer reports contain valuations, item lists, and brief descriptions of the items taken, entry points, etc. However, these details were not included in the provided reports, and without delving into individual cases, they couldn't provide those numbers. Chair Robinson inquired about the felony threshold in terms of the dollar amount, and Acting Major Amaral explained that burglary is automatically considered a felony regardless of the dollar amount involved.