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minutes 10-13-99Page 25 of 31
<br />HIGASHI: There are times when the four departments take a united position and go to Legislature, and
<br />for them to have to come back to you for approval each time there’s an issue at the Legislature, I think
<br />it’s cumbersome and unmanageable. So, I’m kind of surprised and wanted to know the rationale behind
<br />that recommendation.
<br />RAY: You finished, Roland? Okay, Ms. Irvine.
<br />HIGASHI: If he’s finished with his answer, then I’m finished.
<br />OKABE: I would have to go back to the Commission to ask them for the specific rationale for that
<br />particular G. I do not have that information.
<br />RAY: I think what we’d like to make sure is that, at your next meeting, that you respond to the response
<br />from the Police Department so that we get everybody on the same page, here. So, Ms. Irvine, did you
<br />have a question?
<br />IRVINE: I guess the other thing that they did in here was say that the Commission will set general
<br />policy, and then they said, no individual member of the Commission shall interfere, in any way, with the
<br />administrative affairs of the department. Now, previously, it said that the neither the Commission nor an
<br />individual would interfere, and I’d have to get to the page of the Charter that that is, but our Charter,
<br />actually, is in line with the Honolulu Charter and I just wondered why they felt that the Commission
<br />should be able to interfere in the administrative affairs of the department, because that doesn’t seem to
<br />be the pattern, anyway, in Honolulu.
<br />OKABE: Well, first of all, listening to the people that were talking about the Police Commission, I
<br />personally do not feel that we’re puppets for the Mayor, or any particular individual in the County
<br />Council, so therefore, I believe that when they were drafting up this information for the Amendments,
<br />we wanted to have the opportunity to be, not as Coco mentioned about being independent, in a sense of
<br />the whole total structure, but that is one of the reasons why we wanted to do that. I mean, because the
<br />perception would seem is that we are as he mentioned, but we are not.
<br />RAY: Sue, do you have any further on that?
<br />IRVINE: No, just to note that Honolulu, and previously ours, said that the neither the Commission nor
<br />individual members could interfere, and I’m not real sure why they’re taking it out.
<br />RAY: Kevin.
<br />BALOG: Just following up to that. Not to bring to light the newspaper article that someone was trying to
<br />flash around, but would what you’re trying to accomplish mean that, in other words, Administration
<br />would be something like how they handle promotions, or how they handle investigations? Is that what
<br />you guys were thinking about?
<br />OKABE: No, we do not work on any promotions.
<br />BALOG: Okay, so try explain, when you said Administration, what you guys were thinking about,
<br />because you’re saying the Commission would now like to be able to look into the administration of the
<br />department?
<br />OKABE: No, we’re not trying to micro manage. That’s not our role.
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