2008-04-18 Police Commission Minutes

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Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes April 18, 2008 Page 3 • Commendations: Chief Mahuna reported receiving fourteen commendations, ten in South Hilo involving fifty -six employees; one in North Hilo involving three employees; and one each in Puna, Hamakua, and Kona. • Other Departmental Activities: Communications: Chief Mahuna reported that as of December 31, 2012, they will no longer be able to utilize their VHF radio system in its current configuration. If they don't get off the current system and onto a new one by the end of 2012, the FCC could issue them hefty fines, possibly $5,000 a day. The total package will cost about $83 million. Studies were done that emphasize the need for a trunk radio system. They need this system, post haste, because there are a host of things that need to be done such as land acquisition and environmental impact statements. It is one of the largest CIP projects that the county will ever initiate. Their current VHF system is analog, spotty, and doesn't transmit data. The new system would allow them to run mobile data terminals in cars, and officers would be able to run their own checks for such things as registered owner and rap sheets instead of going through dispatch. Right now, the fire people at a scene cannot talk to the police officers, who can't talk to public works, who can't talk to the road department. The new system would allow them to switch to a common channel, and then all of them would be able to communicate with each other. They are working with the Coast Guard to implement some sort of trunk system that they could piggyback on. Currently, this is the responsibility of Data Systems. The county has to make a commitment to this need. For something this big, usually they float a bond or something else. He had asked a senior senator for assistance with federal funding. He asked the commissioners to talk to their council member and see if they could get this communication system put higher on the CIP list. Commissioner Lundkvist suggested that Data Systems talk to a concerned core group rather than individual groups. Someone must get the team together. Vice Chair Whittemore stated that the commission supports this, and they need to get everyone involved. The appeal would have to come from all county, state, and federal agencies. He wants to join the other departments to form a loud voice for the entire county. They want a design that would work for everyone. He asked Chief Mahuna to give them more information on this issue at the next meeting and to also include the Fire Chief in this presentation.