2003-01-17 Police Commission Minutes

Home

HAWAI'I COUNTY POLICE COMMISSION MINUTES — REGULAR SESSION JANUARY 17, 2003 WAIMEA CIVIC CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM CALL TO ORDER Chair Horace Hara called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Horace S. Hara, Chair Dwight K. Manago, Vice chair John M. Bertsch, Member Paul M. de Silva, Member Peter L. Hendricks, Member Betsy Mitchell, Member Absent: Phoebe M. Lambeth Member Walter Moe, Member Peter P. Muller, Member A quorum was present. Also Present: Lincoln Ashida, Corporation Counsel Josie Pelayo, Secretary Lawrence K. Mahuna, Chief Harry S. Kubojiri, Deputy Chief Wendell Paiva, Assistant Chief APPROVAL OF AGENDA Vice Chair Manago moved to approve the agenda. Commissioner Hendricks seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. INTRODUCTION OF COMMISSIONERS BETSY MITCHELL AND PAUL DE SILVA Chair Hara introduced new commissioners Betsy Mitchell, representing Council District 6, and Paul M. de Silva, representing Council District 3. STATEMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS (Open to the Public) Corporation Counsel Ashida stated that statements may be provided to the commission in either an open session or a session closed to the public. However, with regards to complaints against police officers, if the officer requests that statements be made in open session, then it has to be done in open session. GWYNETH WRIXON spoke on her complaint, HPC 02 -64. She stated that when she pulled out of the Waikoloa shopping center, she was almost hit by an SUV, so she flipped her finger at the driver. About a mile down the road, she heard a siren. There were no blue lights. She pulled over and it was a police officer. She understood that he was off -duty and wasn't sure if she should have filed the complaint with the commission. The officer was shaking and screaming at her and told her that she was stopped for waving. She realized the person she flipped off was the same guy. He asked for her driver's license and insurance card. He grabbed the insurance card and scrunched it up. She was scared and phoned for help because he was out of control. When she gave the officer the registration, she asked if he was going to scrunch it up, too. He said, "Fine, refusing to give it." She told him that she was not refusing to give it, just that he may not destroy it. He cited her for failing to yield and safety sticker violations. She went to the Waimea station to prove that she had a safety sticker. She thought that he had a fight with his ex -wife or something. They can't have a loose canon on the force. She doesn't remember what