2007-05-18 Police Commission Minutes

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Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes May 18, 2007 Page 2 Correspondence 07 -13, invitation to the annual National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement Conference (NACOLE) September 25 -28, 2007: Chair Lassiter stated that they have funds for two people to attend the conference. Attendees must attend all sessions. She pointed out that commissioners whose term ends this year are not eligible to attend this out -of -state conference. (See meeting of 5/18/04.) Commissioner Kaoiwi stated that their secretary will be working for the commission long after each member's five -year term. He recommended that she attend the conference if no one else is able to. Chair Lassiter stated that she would like to attend the conference but is willing to pay her own expense to get there because she attended last year's conference. Commissioner Kaoiwi stated that if they have the funds in their budget, they should pay for three people to attend because it does benefit all attendees. Commissioner Politano Steckel and Secretary Pelayo expressed interest in attending the conference. The motion to accept the correspondence carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS • Budget and Finance (Whittemore / Kaoiwi): No report. • Office Management and Staffing (Lassiter /Morimoto): No report • Rules and Policies (Lundkvist /Mitchell): No report • Contractual Services (vacant): No report. • Public Relations (Politano /Robinson): No report. CHIEF'S REPORT Including: • Crime: AC Day reported that they are doing well in their clearance rate and are hitting the national average for burglary clearances. He attended the County Council meeting when Councilman Jacobson made an amendment to not accept federal monies for marijuana eradication, and it passed. They don't have an end date for their marijuana eradication. It ends when they run out of funds. The second reading is on June, and the Chief will be there to speak to the Council. This is the only county that will not accept funds for marijuana eradication. Marijuana grants can only be used for marijuana and nothing else. Corporation Counsel Ashida stated that the County Council took the money out of the general funds of the annual budget. In the future, every time the federal government wants to give money, it has to go before the County Council for a resolution to accept the money. The bottom line is that the police are charged with enforcing the law. Marijuana is illegal. The only exception is possession of limited quantities for medical use when a person has a certificate from the Department of Public Safety. Those people are not being targeted. They are targeting the fields of marijuana, the dealers. He suggested that they ask their council member why they are cutting funding and preventing the police from eradicating a drug that is illegal,