2004-01-AU Hawai‘i County Police Department Vehicles

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SECTION 3 REVIEW OF HAWAI `I COUNTY'S PAST STUDIES ON SUBS DI ZED VS. FLEET SYSTEMS This section examines the following studies and includes a summary commentary: A. Police Cars in Hawai'i and Guam B. "A Study of the Automobile Allowance System of the Hawai'i County Police Department," 1972 C. " Hawai'i County Police Department Pilot Police Fleet Study," 1978 D. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. Review of the Puna Fleet Study, 1979 E. " Police Automobile Fleet Study for the Hawai'i County Police Department," 1994 F. "Subsidized Automobile Study," Maui Police Department, 2002 G. The Price of Visibility," West Hawai'i Crime Stoppers, Inc., 2003 H. " Hawai'i Police Department Fleet vs. Subsidized Vehicle Report," 2003 " Hawai'i Police Department Fleet vs. Subsidized Vehicle Report II," 2003 J. Summary A. Police Cars in Hawai'i and Guam From a nati onal perspecti ve, H awai ` i County's subsi di zed pol i ce vehi d e pol i cy i s uni que. I t ref I ects a I ongstandi ng i sl and tradi ti on dati ng back to Terri tori al H awai ` i when al I four county pol i ce departments utilized a vehicle subsidy program. The Honolulu Police Department has used a subsidy system for pol i ce vehi d es si nce 1932. The H atvai ` i County Pot i ce Department has empl oyed a vehi cl a subsi dy si nce the department's i ncepti on i n 1943. I n 1939, the f rst marked pol i ce cars appeared i n Honol ul u, when Captai n Levi Kal aul i of the country pol i ce di vi si on pl aced a si gn that read " Poll i cd' on the si de of the vehi d es above and to the rear of the front fenders. A I i ght i I I umi nated the si gn at ni ght. Today, H onol ul u' s standard " blue & whi td' patrol car is the Ford Crown Victoria, the most widely used patrol vehi cl e by pol i ce departments through- out the nation. However, Honolulu still employs subsidized personal vehicles along with a lesser number of fleet cars, a policy reportedly endorsed by Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donahue. In 2003, the Honolulu Police Department employed 658 c ty -owned f I eet vehi d es and 1, 333 authori zed subsidized vehicles. Honolulu police recruits first drive fleet patrol cars known as "whites." Later, upon attaining the rank of "motor man," they are el i gi bl a to purchase approved subsi di zed cars. The Kauai Police Department transitioned from subsi di zed cars to a county -owned fl eet i n the earl y 1970s. The M aui Pol i ce Department began phasi ng in county- purchased fleet vehicles to replace its subsi di zed vehi cl a program i n 1977. Honolulu patrol car (left) and ambulance circa 1920s. 2003: Honolulu's" blue& white" Ford Crown Victoria patrol car 13