2005-03-18 Police Commission Minutes

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Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes March 18, 2005 Page 2 Vice Chair Lassiter motioned that Corporation Counsel Ashida send a letter to the complainant, directing her attention to the police department. Commissioner Manago seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. The motion to accept the communications as listed carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS • Budget and Finance (Frazier / Manago) Commissioner Manago reported that Commissioner Frazier has been working diligently with the police department on the budget. The commissioners feel that training is very important to the department's budget, and without it lawsuits could result. They need to look at how they are running the county. Police officers need to be equipped properly to do their job. The police department is now faced with 70 vacancies. They need to fund training positions so that they are not always behind. Puna needs a new police station. People in Puna cannot even get into the police station. South Kona also needs a new police station. The Chief is currently working on accreditation. Commissioner Frazier stated that there was a modest recognition to the supplemental budget. They are tying to get funding for CIPs. Commissioner Hara stated that they needed to support what the Chief has prioritized and not go on their own tangent. Commissioner Manago stated that on March 30, the police department would be going before the County Council for its review of the budget. The County Council decides what money will be released. • Office Management and Staffing (Bertsch /Mitchell): No report. Rules and Policies (Bertsch /Lundkvist): No Report. Contractual Services (Frazier): No report. • Public Relations (Bertsch /Lassiter): Vice Chair Lassiter stated that she is involved in the police fleet committee that will be deciding on marked or subsidized cars for the police department. CHIEF'S REPORT Including: Crime: Major Dawrs summarized the written report. Traffic: Major Dawrs summarized the written report. In response to Commissioner Frazier's inquiry into aerial surveillance over the Queen K Highway, he stated it would be quite expensive. A few years back they paid $667 an hour for a helicopter. Deputy Chief Kubojiri stated that the Chief sought assistance from the Civil Air Patrol but has not gotten any response. Major Dawrs reported that they have been doing a lot of enforcement on the Queen K Highway, to the point where everybody is doing the speed limit and that's upsetting some people. Officers from North Kohala have been working overtime to do traffic enforcement on the Queen K. Two recent accidents involved Jeeps.