2023-10-20 Police Commission Regular Minutes

Home

Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes October 20, 2023 Page 7 rather handle inquiries during meetings. If a police report is required, it should be requested through the commission's secretary which will be provided to them at the meeting. She stressed the critical need to maintain boundaries between the Police Commission and the department. Additionally, she addressed concerns about the potential inappropriate use of ID tags and mentioned that they were primarily for identification purposes and not a distinguishing factor for commissioners. Following discussions and incidents involving Chief Ferreira and Chief Bugado, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office, the decision was made to retract all ID tags. This decision aimed to uphold the commission's integrity, prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure appropriate boundaries, emphasizing that the issuance of ID tags by the Police Department was not fitting for individuals who are not part of the department's staff. Commissioner Sur raised a query for Corp Counsel and/or Chief Moszkowicz about commissioners' roles inside and outside meetings. He emphasized the distinction between discussions within and outside meetings and their implications for freedom of speech. DCC Frenz expressed that this discussion might not be suitable for the Police Commission hearing, suggesting addressing concerns about the Board of Ethics separately. Commissioner Sur clarified he was asking a general question. DCC Frenz pointed out that according to the Code of Ethics, discussions during meetings, even during a recess, fall within the commissioner's role and are covered by ethics regulations. Commissioner Sur disagreed, citing discussions with external and past Corp Counsel, indicating a disagreement on this interpretation. Chair Robinson mentioned Ms. Correa's resignation and expressed the need to collaborate with the chief to find her replacement, appreciating any assistance. Chief Moszkowicz discussed a recently filled secretary position within the department that was open to all County employees. Exploring the possibility of using the previous recruitment process, they discovered they couldn't reuse the same list and would need to conduct a new recruitment. He assured cooperation with Chair Robinson and planned to work closely with County HR to expedite the reposting of the position, aiming to start the process before the vacancy occurs. NEW BUSINESS Correspondence No. 23-10: Police Executive Research Forum's (PERF) study, "Responding to the Staffing Crisis: Innovations in Recruitment and Retention.