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Home My WebLink About2008-11-20 Police Commission MinutesHAWAII COUNTY POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 20, 2008 WAIMEA CIVIC CENTER INVOCATION Commissioner Kaoiwi gave an invocation. CALL TO ORDER Chair Lassiter called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. ROLL CALL (A quorum was present.) Present: Pudding Lassiter, Chair Also Present Thomas P. Whittemore, Vice Chair Richard J. Behenna, Commissioner Louis Kaoiwi, Commissioner Karolyn P. Lundkvist, Commissioner Melvin S. Morimoto, Commissioner Anita Politano Steckel, Commissioner Michael B. Sumja, Commissioner Lawrence K. Mahuna, Police Chief Harry S. Kubojiri, Deputy Chief Paul Ferreira, Assistant Chief Derek Pacheco, Assistant Chief Henry Tavares, Assistant Chief James O'Connor, Captain Lincoln S. Ashida, Corporation Counsel Josie Pelayo, Secretary APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Lundkvist moved to approve the agenda. Commissioner Kaoiwi seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS — None APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Kaoiwi moved to approve the minutes of October 17, 2008, regular and executive sessions. Commissioner Sumja seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. PERSONNEL ORDERS Commissioner Kaoiwi moved to accept the Personnel Orders as listed. Commissioner Politano Steckel seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS Commissioner Kaoiwi moved to accept the communications as listed. Vice Chair Whittemore seconded, and it carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS • Budget and Finance (Whittemore / Kaoiwi) — No report. • Office Management and Staffing (Lass iter / Morimoto) — No report. • Rules and Policies (Behenna / Sumja) — No report. • Contractual Services (vacant) — No report. • Public Relations /Information (Lass iter /Behenna) — No report. Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 20, 2008 Page 2 CHIEF'S REPORT Including: • Crime: Assistant Chief Tavares summarized the written report. They have not seen any rise in burglaries, thefts, etc., resulting from the economic downturn. They are working on visibility. They have not seen any trend in the miscellaneous public assistance calls. He hasn't seen any increase in roadside vendors. Traffic: AC Pacheco reported that traffic accidents and fatalities are down. Their enforcement has had an effect on this. Citations, including speeding, were down. He attributes this to the TEU still on off - island training. Overall, traffic has been good. Regarding roadside vendors, they enforce illegal parking. They have not seen an increase in roadside vendors. The electronic signs that show a driver's speed were obtained with grants; they hope to get more. The State that reduced the speed limit down to 50 mph on the Mauka road between Waimea to Kona. Commissioner Behenna stated that he would like to have information in the traffic report publicized in the newspapers. AC Ferreira stated that their traffic statistics are on their website. Commissioner Kaoiwi commended officers for patrolling in the Railroad Avenue area where kids have been racing. The officer without the blue light makes a difference. Vice Chair Whittemore inquired whether there were areas targeted for underage drinking. AC Pacheco stated that the Crime Reduction Unit has been trying to attack the problems in public parks which people have complained about. They are trying to be proactive and getting people before they get in their car. He is not aware of any decorative plant thefts. Commissioner Lundkvist stated that on Sundays, Highway 130 in the area of the Maku'u Market, is a mad house. AC Pacheco stated that he will talk to Captain Guillermo about it. They can cite people if they park on the highway and don't move when asked to. Personnel: AC Ferreira stated that the 76th recruit class began on November 17 with 14 new members. The 75th recruit class will graduate on January 30. They still anticipate full strength by the end of the year. One officer who left for DLNR wants to come back. Open continuous recruitment was closed in August because almost 100 applicants are being screened. Interested persons can ask to be placed on the Human Resources mailing list. They conducted interviews for two dispatch positions. The annual report for 2007 -08 has not been completed. Annual reports come out almost a year later. Finance: AC Ferreira summarized the written report. They are on a status quo budget and have not been asked to make additional reductions. They need to press for CIP Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 20, 2008 Page 3 for the Keaau Police Station. That station is really crowded. They have always had a problem with acquiring the property for that station. Hopefully, the construction of the Pahoa substation will alleviate some of the problems. The funds have already been appropriate. Regarding the South Kona police station, they are in the process of submitting to Public Works the type of facility they want. They want something that will last more than 10 years. On Monday, they started improvement work on the current Captain Cook station. Deputy Chief Kubojiri stated that they are looking at the Captain Cook substation to eventually becoming a full station. Assistant Chief Ferreira stated that although they have a status quo budget, the County does allow for increases in overtime. The County knows that whenever there is a natural disaster, the numbers go up. • Commendations: Chief Mahuna reported having 15 commendations in the past month -- 10 in South Hilo, 1 in Puna, 2 in North Hilo, 1 in South Kohala, and 1 in Ka'u. Other Departmental Activities: Chief Mahuna reported that through a multi -year grant, they acquired two crime scene technicians. They will obtain evidence, photographs, etc., and alleviate the detectives' crime scene work. The grant is just seed money, and they hope the County will make the positions a part of their future budget. AC Ferreira stated that the minimum requirement for the position is training in chemistry. They will be sent to professional training on the mainland. Chief Mahuna stated that they are selecting a new side arm of a larger caliber that moves at a slower rate. This would prevent ricochets and inadvertent stray shots. EXECUTIVE SESSION (closed to the public) Commissioner Sumja moved to meet in executive session to consider discipline and charges against officers or employees of the Hawaii County Police Department, to consider the hire of an employee where consideration of matters affecting privacy would be involved, and to consult with Corporation Counsel on questions and issues that pertain to the commission's powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities pursuant to HRS 92 -5 (2) and Hawaii County Charter Section 13 -20 (b). Vice Chair Whittemore seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Executive session convened at 10:25 a.m. Regular session reconvened at 2:00 p.m., at which time Chair Lassiter announced that they would recess the monthly meeting and then have another meeting to take public testimonies on the Chief of Police candidates. They will then reconvene the monthly meeting at 2:30 p.m. Regular session reconvened at 2:50 p.m. Hawaii County Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 20, 2008 Page 4 Executive Session Commissioner Behenna moved to meet in executive session to consider the hire of an employee where consideration of matters affecting privacy would be involved, and to consult with Corporation Counsel on questions and issues that pertain to the commission's powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities pursuant to HRS 92 -5 (2) and Hawaii County Charter Section 13 -20 (b). Commissioner Kaoiwi seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Executive session convened at 2:55 p.m. Regular session reconvened at 4:00 p.m. ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION MATTERS — None. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS — None. ANNOUNCEMENTS • Chair Lassiter announced that the next meeting would be on December 3, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., at the Department of Liquor Control, 101 Aupuni St., Ste. 230, Hilo, to interview the candidates for police chief. She also announced that the next monthly meeting would be on December 19, 2008, at the Department of Liquor Control, 101 Aupuni St., Ste. 230, Hilo. • Collection of files and documents. — Done. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. SUBMITTED: Janie V61a140 JOSIE PELAYO, SECRETARY APPROVED: PUDDING LASSITER, CHAIR