2006-08-03 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

Home

The Chair mentioned that he took up police science upon going to college years ago. The studies and tests were so difficult that he gave it up and went into carpentry instead. He asked whether the tests were ever redone and if there was more on-the-job training than before. Deputy Chief Kubojiri said the tests are not exactly the same, but they are handled by the Civil Service Department. They are very basic and are purchased. The Department is also trying to establish a stronger relationship with the University of Hawaii at Hilo, so that the teaching will be tied into what the actual work is. They are also embarking on a cadet program and will have officers not only teaching a recruit class for cadets getting out of high school, but they'll also teach at the university. They are trying to make the teaching more standardized and to be what police work is all about. Deputy Chief Kubojiri said that the qualifications to become a police officer are not a person's grades or diploma, like it used to be. Now candidates have to go through a whole battery of testing, including a polygraph examination and a psychological examination. ♦The third idea the Department had on ways to save money while not compromising essential services, is to explore using a 311 non - emergency telephone line for the public. This is in operation in other areas of the country. People in the community who have questions could call this number and get an answer or be directed to the appropriate department. It would benefit the Police Department because although their non - emergency number is in the phone book, people tend to call 911 for non - emergencies and things not even related to the Police Department, because they can remember the three -digit number. This ties up the 911 line and may hinder them from receiving a true emergency call. Mr. Joseph said the County already has an information number, and it would just be changing that number into 311. He mentioned that when he visited Brooklyn recently, he learned that if someone dials 911 for a non - emergency, they spend 24 hours in jail. The 911 calls were overwhelming their system, so New Yorkers got real strict about using it. Mr. Sakaguchi said having the 311 number was a good idea but asked why money would be needed for it, and Deputy Chief Kubojiri said he was not sure of the logistics of how to put it in place. Mr. Sakaguchi said it might be a low -cost venture and he would like to see the County lead the rest of the state in some of the improvements. b. Do you see any way to consolidate services, activities, and functions of a similar nature within your own department as well as with other departments? ♦The first idea was to consolidate the Dispatch Services. There are two dispatch centers which deal with public safety, and they are currently separate. Neither one at the current moment can do the job of the other, as the functions are slightly different. For example, the Fire Department has a supervisor right there who can handle an emergency with medical symptoms. They would like to cross -train all 31