1999-10-27 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 10-27-99Page 32 of 48 WURDEMAN: The Department of Public Safety idea, I know it’s been tried places. I don’t see any compelling reason to do it. I don’t see that there’s a problem that requires it to be done. And, one of the problems that I see arising is you’ve got career track people coming up through the ambulance, through the fire, and through the police, and how are you going to pick a Chief? Could be a fire person, medical person, or a police person. HERKES: I’m not going to pick anyone. I would pick a CEO to administer, to manage the department, and then he would have Fire Chiefs, and Police Chiefs, and Emergency Chiefs underneath him. The Manager is what I would have. CORREA: Technically, it’s almost the same as we have now, though. HERKES: Well, technically, it would not be the same as you have now. CORREA: It would not be a political appointment. HERKES: Technically, it would not be the same in no way. RAY: Sue. IRVINE: May I just clarify my question about the Commission. I was reading the wrong page. It’s the Ethics Commission in Honolulu, which is under the Corporation Counsel. WURDEMAN: Yes, they’re under Corporation Counsel here too. IRVINE: Thank you. CORREA: Can I give a summary? RAY: Sure. CORREA: In summary, all of the counties throughout the State right now, operate with the same type of Commission. Some of them have unique problems and their problems have to do with the make-up of the rules and regulations that they have. I think our Police Commission composed rules in 1995, and they had the hearings, and I think their rules are good. They are following it well, to the point where, I think, now they’re going to have these contested case hearings, and our Police Commission was the first to adopt those rules in the State, and so the counties are taking a look at some of our contested case hearing rules. We get to the point where Honolulu might not be able to handle our type rules, just based on the sheer task of trying to do that type of things on Oahu, so each island actually gleans from each other. As far as the way they handle the cases, I think our Commission is doing a good job because what they are doing is they have the ability to look at cases, and if they feel that the case actually does not have any merit from the onset, they are not accepting, they’re not considering, they’re not sustaining. And they are doing it from their level and they’re letting the public know that they’re not accepting it. So it eliminates any kind of interference, or influence, from us investigating ourselves, and then screening out these cases. So from that, it’s been working very well, from that standpoint. RAY: More questions? Marni. HERKES: No more questions, but I think that probably lends credibility to the Police Commission, as well as makes the officers feel a little bit better about the Police Commission because only the ones that file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 10-27-99.html7/1/2011