2004-02-12 Police Commission Minutes

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Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes February 12, 2004 Page 2 COMMISSIONR MOE stated that they are an oversight commission and should not be an investigative unit. Investigations should lie with the police department, and the police commission, as a civilian body, should oversee the conduct and review their findings. CHAIR HARA stated that that was one of the suggestions in the draft. COMMISSIONER BERTSCH stated that it's a great idea to reassess the policies and procedures of the commission's operations. They need to come up with the solution that everybody can work with and be comfortable with. VICE CHAIR MANAGO stated that when the commission makes a decision, and the department comes up with a different decision, they need feedback as to the reason for the decision. They all want fairness for the officers. They need to take personalities out of their decision - making because commission membership, as well as the police chief, will change. They will also need input from SHOPO. COMMISSIONER MITCHELL stated that they have seen the same officer doing the same thing to the public, and would like this corrected with training. They want information so that they can make a decision that is good for the officer and the public. COMMISSIONER DE SILVA stated that they, as lay people, have had almost no training. No one trains them on civil service laws, Chapter 92, or the General Orders. They come in as commissioners and have no training. They want to be involved with having a check and balance on what the police department does. He read the IAU reports and came away impressed and having greater confidence. If they receive the proper training, then they can work with the police to make changes. COMMISSIONER BERTSCH asked for input from the Chief. CHIEF MAHUNA stated that they've all gotten the bad rap as to what happened in previous administrations but would like to move on. He has a budget that is almost impossible to run a police department. His training budget has always been cut. Commissioner Mitchell asked what kind of training people get after being found guilty of a certain infraction. Discipline is considered part of training. But, when the budget is cut to the point where it's difficult to conduct in- service training on current laws, policies, procedures, it's very difficult for to come up with proactive ways to minimize conduct. In the fourteen months that he has been Chief, they have taken tremendous strides as far as dispensing discipline. Problem officers have gotten letters about changing their behavioral pattern and the possibility of termination. SHOPO also agrees that a bad officer not only hurts the public, but also hurts individuals that have to work with that person. He recognizes that there is a need for change, but change for change itself is wrong. Change that has a specific objective and specific purpose is right. They do not want to take away the public's choice of going to the police commission with a complaint. If the commission sees an officer over and over again with a pattern of some sort, he would like to know about it and nip it in the bud.