2004-04-16 Police Commission Minutes

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HAWAII COUNTY POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES APRIL 16 2004 OHANA KEAUHOU BEACH RESORT CALL TO ORDER Chair Hara called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Horace S. Hara, Chair Dwight K. Manago, Vice Chair John M. Bertsch, Commissioner Paul M. de Silva, Commissioner James A. Frazier, Commissioner Pudding Lassiter, Commissioner Betsy Mitchell, Commissioner Pete Muller, Commissioner Also Present: Lawrence Mahuna, Chief Harry Kubojiri, Deputy Chief James Day, Major Lincoln Ashida, Corporation Counsel Josie Pelayo, Secretary APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Mitchell motioned to approve the agenda. Vice Chair Manago seconded the motion. Discussion: Vice Chair Manago asked to add correspondence from Solutions 2004 regarding the Neighborhoods in Action Conference onto the agenda and to label it 04 -16. The motion carried unanimously with the addition of Correspondence 04 -16. STATEMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS - Open to the public (Corporation Counsel to gave an explanation of statements.) SCOTT GASTON, COMPLAINT HPC 04 -04, came before the commission and summarized his written complaint. His daughter had been dating a 21 -year old man and she tried to run away. They called the police department for assistance. An officer called back and told them not to do anything that they would regret. His wife intercepted the boyfriend's phone call giving their daughter his location. He caught the boyfriend and his wife called the police for assistance. While she was calling the police, the boyfriend ran away, so she told the police where they could intercept him. The police never came. His complaint is not against a specific officer but against the police department who let them down with their services. OFFICER EDMOUNDSON, COMPLAINT HPC 04 -02, came before the commission in response to a complaint filed by Elizabeth Hall who was involved in a traffic accident on January 5, 2004. Officer Aurello made contact with Mrs. Hall, and he contacted the other party. Two witnesses at the scene said they saw Mrs. Hall cross the white line. He determined that the witnesses were unbiased and based his report on their statements. They were very busy that night, and he did not talk to Officer Aurello until after their shift at about 11:00- 11:30. On January 11 Mrs. Hall contacted him and informed him that the report was wrong. She submitted a typewritten statement, and he made a supplementary report giving her side of the story. The witnesses came to him, and told him what they saw. He did not know the other party or the witnesses and was not trying to be partial. He does not remember putting his hand on his gun to intimidate them, and if he did, it was out of habit in the way he stands (showed example). The do not take photographs unless it's a fatality. He was not trained in skid marks and could not determine if they were made by Mrs. Hall. He was not trained in witness bias. He reviewed the report, his captain reviewed it, and he was not told to redo it.