2024-06-21 Police Commission Regular Minutes

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Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes June 21, 2024 Page 5 extended an invitation to the commission, expressing that if they are ever interested in attending a future ceremony on Oahu, they would be honored to have any of them in attendance. Temporary Morgue Facility: Chief Moszkowicz explained that anytime someone dies and their physician is not available or willing to sign their death certificate, the responsibility for determining the cause and manner of death falls to the medical examiner or coroner of each county. The Hawaii Revised Statutes further dictate that in Kauai, Maui, and Hawai'i County, the chief of police is also the coroner. There is a contract with a vendor to perform the autopsy procedure, but after the procedure, the custody of the remains is still their responsibility. If a person dies at the medical facility, the hospital typically retains responsibility for the person's remains. They used the morgue facilities at Hilo Medical Center and Kona Community Hospital to store remains until a mortuary could collect them. However, in recent years, local mortuaries have increasingly delayed collections, leading to overcrowded hospital morgues. This raised concerns about the impact on hospital facilities and refrigeration systems. The police department is not directly at fault, the hospitals view the bodies as the department's responsibility and have become increasingly worried. At Kona Community Hospital, an agreement is being developed to allow the county to use a refrigerated container (purchased during COVID) for storing remains at their facility. Corporation Counsel is assisting with the details, and a final agreement is expected within a few months. The Hilo Benioff Medical Center recently informed them they would no longer allow "HPD bodies" in their morgue, requiring them to find a solution for storing remains. This prompted urgent discussions with various officials, including the Mayor and the Attorney General. The current plan is to use county property near the Medical Center for two retrofitted 40-foot refrigerated containers and a secure, covered area. This is a temporary fix for a few years until a permanent morgue facility can be constructed. Chief Moszkowicz reported that this led to broader discussions with the Mayor's Office about the county's responsibility to build a permanent facility. It is suggested that the best practice for transparency and accountability would be to establish an independent coroner or medical examiner's office separate from the Police Department. While this is likely years away, initial discussions have begun. Further updates will be provided to the commission as the situation develops. There was further discussion focused on the morgue, investigations, and autopsies. There was a discussion about rescheduling the special meeting set for July 11t" to review the commission's rules. Chief Moszkowicz, who will be on the East Coast for training, expressed his desire to be involved. Chair Robinson asked if any commissioners objected to moving the meeting to August. Commissioner Sur objected,