2006-11-17 Police Commission Minutes

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Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 17, 2006 Page 3 AC Day reported that the county has started a program in which they will reimburse tuition to county employees. • Finance: No discussion. • Commendations: Chief Mahuna reported receiving eight commendations since the last meeting. • Commander's meeting minutes of October 17, 2006: No discussion. • Other departmental activities: Chief Mahuna thanked the commissioners for their attendance at the recent recruit commencement exercises. He found it refreshing to have them there and having people get to know them. Chief Mahuna reported on the department's response to the October earthquake. Many, many officers on day off or vacation responded. It was made crystal clear that had the officers not had subsidized vehicles, they would not have had their equipment or vehicles. Being able to use their subsidized vehicle made it much more expeditious. They had instantaneous response from officers in the Kohala and Kona area which they would not have had if they had other vehicles. He believes the county council members saw the advantages of having subsidized vehicles. Chief Mahuna reported on the recent accident in Volcano that involved three vehicles. They assisted the park ranges with this horrific accident. It was very sad to see this happen to visitors who were here on vacation. They will be stepping up enforcement on speeding, DUI, and seatbelt. This is one of their primary goals. Hopefully they can push for better roads, better design of roads, and this will help with their enforcement efforts. With the proliferation of SUVs, people need to be education on the special driving techniques needed for these vehicles. Chief Mahuna reported on the Cadet program. The tentative start date is July 2007. It will be on the east side of the island, and a lot of the components will be at the police station. He hopes the commission welcomes the cadets to their first class. Regarding Commissioner Politano Steckel's statements on the handling of individuals, Chief Mahuna stated that he has seen what she spoke about. It is manners, and they will be addressing it. Good manners are indicative of how children are raised. The commission reviewed the Hawaii County Police Department's recruitment video. Chief Mahuna reported that AC Osorio will be retiring at the end of December, and Major Ferreira will be promoted to the position. Chief Mahuna reported that they still do not have a site for the new South Kona Police station.