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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-17 Police Commission Regular Minutes HAWAII POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES J U LY 17, 2026 WEST HAWAII CIVIC CENTER, BUILDING A, COUNCIL CHAMBERS 74-5044 ANE KEOHOKALOLE HIGHWAY, KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Yamada called the meeting to order at 9.20 a.m. Present: Greg Yamada, Chair Franz "Junior" Fischer, Commissioner Eileen Lacerte, Commissioner Jacob Tavares, Commissioner Bernadette Urban-Smith, Commissioner Absent: Wendy Botelho, Vice Chair Lloyd Enriquez, Commissioner Allen Salavea, Commissioner A quorum was present. Also present: Sherry Bird, Acting Police Chief Rio Amon-Wilkins, Assistant Chief Thomas Shopay, Assistant Chief Scott Amaral, Major Jeremie Evangelista, Major Tuck Loy Aurello, Captain Sinclair Salas-Ferguson, Deputy Corporation Counsel Lynn Petersen, Secretary STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS • Alohalani Hope Cermelj addressed the Commission relating to agenda item Other Department Activities under the Police Chief's Report on Department Activities. Ms. Cermelj stated that she has waited for this time for two months and is asking this Commission, Council, as well as Mayor Kimo Alameda and whatever other department is involved with this, that our young new officers need to be retrained, trained, and to use the Miranda rights which is part of the law. • Geraldine Pytell related that on December 12, she called 911 because she was accosted by the new owner and the police did not go to her. When asked by Chair Yamada if she was speaking on a complaint that she filed that they were going to hear today, Ms. Cermelj assisted Ms. Pytell and related that she is speaking on agenda item Personnel Report under the Police Chief's Report on Department Activities as she will relate what personnel have done to her. Ms. Pytell continued that she called 911 and when the police arrived, they went to the red zone which was where Jimmy, the so-called manager, and Paul Gregory, who's the executive director of the Big Island Housing Foundation, were and the report that is Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 2 written are all their words. She's here to say that she called the police because she was physically pushed by Mr. Gregory who put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her, the police didn't go to her but went to Paul Gregory and Jimmy, and what was written is in Paul Gregory's favor that she was interfering. Ms. Pytell said that they are evicting her because of lies, and the report is not written in her favor that she was pushed not once, but twice. Commissioner Tavares asked Ms. Pytell if she gave a statement to police officers that arrived on scene, and Ms. Pytell said yes but everything in the report was something that Paul Gregory and Jimmy spoke of. She added that Mr. Gregory and other witnesses said that Mr. Gregory did not push her but kept her away from the landscapers. She stated that her words aren't really in there, other than the fact that he pushed her. • There were no testifiers on Zoom. APPROVAL OF MINUTES • Commissioner Fischer moved to approve the regular and executive session minutes for May 15, 2026. Commissioner Lacerte seconded the motion, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. POLICE CHIEF'S REPORT ON DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES Items from the Chief's written reports were highlighted: • Crime Report: Major Amaral reported 5,453 serious crimes reported through June 30, 2026. Areas I and II Criminal Investigation units investigated 850 of those (565 in Area I and 285 in Area II). Under Crimes Listed by Area, looking at FYTD 2025-26 and comparing it with FYTD 2024-25, in Area I burglaries went down, robberies went up, thefts went down, auto thefts went down, sexual assaults went down, murders went up, attempted murders went down, and assaults went down. For Area Two, compared to the previous fiscal year, burglaries went up, robberies went down, thefts went down, auto thefts went down, sexual assaults went down, murders went down, attempted murder no change, and assaults went up. • Calls for Service: For the month of June 2026, the department received 9,113 calls for service (FYTD: 116, 944). Chair Yamada commented that when HPD goes through these reports, he starts scrambling through the papers to figure out if he's looking at the right report. It would be good if they can figure out a way for all to be looking at the same page as HPD is giving their report, maybe numbering the pages. Other Commissioners agreed. • Traffic Report: Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins reported the traffic statistics as of July 16, 2026. For FY 2025-26, there were 975 traffic crashes compared to 1,009 from FY Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 3 2024-25, a 3% decrease; traffic fatalities totaled 24, compared to 23 the year prior, an increase of one which is 4%; there were 15 DUI fatalities compared to 9 the year prior, a 67% increase; and DUI arrests were 820 compared to 943 the year prior, a 13% decrease. For the month of June 2026, there were 54 DUI arrests compared to 51 in May 2026, a 6% increase. A total of 5,581 citations were issued, including 3,578 moving/regulatory violations, 307 seat belt violations, 34 child restraint violations, and 1,409 speeding citations. The breakdown for DUI arrests by ages are: 40 arrests for ages 22 and up, a slight decrease from the previous month; 14 arrests for ages 18 to 21, compared to 7 the previous month; and for 17 and under there were zero arrests for the two months. Commissioner Tavares related that as far as traffic crashes and traffic fatalities, one of the hot topics has been Saddle Road. He knows there was a state of emergency declared and some work being proposed, but asked what efforts are being made on the HPD side. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins stated that at the beginning of June, there were two traffic fatalities on Saddle Road so they greatly increased enforcement and presence up there. During a three-week period, they were up there probably two-thirds of the day between early morning until the evening hours. Due to manpower issues, however, it wasn't sustainable for them to leave the amount of officers they had up there. However, they are still maintaining a pretty large presence, primarily during the heavy commute hours in the morning and afternoon. Commissioner Tavares asked how they interface with PTA as far as enforcement goes as there are certain jurisdictions that officers are not enforcing. Assistant Chief Amon- Wilkins reported that police cover the entire Saddle Road, and he has not seen PTA doing any enforcement on the roadway or even near the base. There was discussion with the Sheriffs to see if they would be able to provide some resources up there if not for enforcement, at least for presence. Commissioner Tavares related that it might be something to discuss at our internal meetings about having PTA assist, even to stage their patrol people strategically to support HPD. Lieutenant Colonel Park is the newly appointed head of command at PTA and he seems very open to new ideas. Major Amaral added that it is his understanding that PTA has done some enforcement up there, but it has since ended. Also, the citations issued by military are totally different as there are no fines and no court dates; it's more of a warning. Major Amaral added that in Area I, they have a post-fatality protocol that Assistant Chief Quiocho had initiated for the past three or four years. When there's a fatality, they have increased enforcement in that area with the goal of minimizing that from happening again. They have Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) officers up there every day and when there were two or three fatalities, TEU officers were a few miles away when it happened. This last week, there were over 60 speeding citations issued by just TEU alone. In the case of DKI, it's not only enforcement that's going to solve that issue. The State is working on fixing the road, and everybody needs to do their part. Two of the last fatalities that happened on DKI were not speed related. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 4 Chair Yamada agreed that some of the fatalities are not preventable because there are so many factors. When he drove in that area shortly after the fatalities, he saw the obvious visible presence of law enforcement for a few weeks. He contrasts that with two weeks ago when he went to Kona and saw zero law enforcement both ways. The optics are the same, and it doesn't look good when the public sees that the officers are gone. Chair Yamada pointed out that it took a lot of resources to put that much law enforcement over there for three weeks; maybe there is a strategy of spreading out these resources so it's more constant. Commissioner Fischer is in agreement with the optics and discussing proactive versus reactive measures. Drivers are worse now and people are distracted with phones and not paying attention. People need to be accountable for their own driving habits. He personally thinks that the process to get a regular driver's license needs to change to make it more like a CDL. Commissioner Urban-Smith agrees with her fellow Commissioners regarding the optics and feels that the responsibility should fall on the drivers. There's only so much that HPD can do. She also feels that getting a driver's license should go through more of a stricter process, as well as the fines for speeding should be increased dramatically to discourage drivers from repeating that mistake. She asked what the process is when a community member reports an unruly driver or someone who's speeding. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins related that those calls go to dispatch who will assign a patrol officer to that area. Officers will try to locate the vehicle, stop them, and if they observe citable offenses, they'll cite them. If the person is not contacted by an officer, our Traffic Services Section will send a letter to the registered owner of the vehicle, informing them that on this date and time there was a call that came in that the vehicle was driving recklessly. Commissioner Urban-Smith related that lately she has seen increased accidents on Alii Drive. Alii Drive has always been known as kind of a cruise road, but she has seen over the course of the years several vehicles overturned and more recently a fatality. She also has been seeing a lot of motorcyclists passing on the right-hand side. She asked what information would be useful when someone calls in either for a motorcyclist or a regular automobile. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins related that besides the license plate, a description of the motorcycle and operator, direction they were traveling, and the violation. Commissioner Lacerte asked if they can put cameras there and give tickets from the cameras, like they do in other areas. She knows technology is there and it would eliminate having to have so many officers there. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins related that the State may be talking about that and knows that Honolulu did that years ago, but there were some legal issues with identifying the operator. When some of those citations went to court, that was an issue when someone loaned their car to somebody Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 5 else. Chair Yamada commented on having billboards that say how many days from the last fatality. Commissioner Urban-Smith inquired if there was a system in place for citizens who are serious about helping HPD on the roads to create some kind of program where they can have temporary authority to issue a moving violation. Assistant Chief Amon- Wilkins brought out safety concerns with that. • Vice Report: Assistant Chief Thomas Shopay reported Vice Division activity for June 2026. Seizures included 21,623 grams of methamphetamine which is about 47 pounds, 1,058 grams of heroin which is about 2 '/2 pounds, 6,407 Fentanyl pills, 297 grams of dried marijuana which is a little over half a pound, 108 grams of marijuana concentrate which is less than a quarter pound, and 0.67 grams of Oxycodone which a gram is about the weight of a $1 bill. Some miscellaneous drug paraphernalia and three firearms were also seized along with 133 rounds of ammunition. Commissioner Urban-Smith asked if there was no Fentanyl seizure in West Hawaii, to which Assistant Chief Shopay related that was correct. He added that although the quantities are smaller for Fentanyl, it doesn't take a whole lot to make a big difference. Commissioner Lacerte asked if there's more on our island and then it gets dispersed to the other islands. Assistant Chief Shopay related that sometimes it's just that the pathway to get things here may be easier. There are a lot more flights and ports in Honolulu, but there is also more enforcement in those areas. Assistant Chief Shopay related that Fentanyl pills are not produced by pharmaceutical companies and in specific ratios and dosages, so the dosage variation from one pill to the next may vary widely. The cost of a pill can vary widely also depending on the source or dealer. Commissioner Tavares asked if the large amounts were one large seizure. Assistant Chief Shopay could not elaborate as these are active investigations. • Personnel Report: Assistant Chief Shopay reported that there are four candidates for the Police Commission secretary position, and they are working to conduct the interviews. As of June 30, 2026, there were 89 sworn vacancies in the field; counting 9 recruits in the 105t" Recruit Class and 7 in the 106t" Recruit Class, there were 73 actual unfilled positions. As of yesterday, the 107t" Recruit Class started with ten recruits. For Police Communications Officer I and II, 31 positions were filled and 8 were vacant. All five Supervising Police Communications Officer positions were filled. Overall, 414 of 503 sworn positions (82%) and 132 of 163 civilian positions (81%) were filled. PO I recruitment is continuous. On June 3, 20267 16 applicants were referred; and on July 87 20267 12 applicants were referred. Commissioner Fischer asked if the new process with applicants not being vetted twice has been implemented. Assistant Chief Shopay related that it is being implemented or tested with the school crossing guard applications. If it works smoothly, it'll be Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 6 incorporated in other applications for the department moving forward. Along with that, County HR and our HR are realizing there are some challenging positions to be filled on the civilian side where it would require you to have two years' experience in a certain position. They're looking at having that position still in the same class, but lowering the requirements so you could get hired at a level one while you work to gain the experience to move up. They're missing a lot of people because when they look at an application and don't meet the minimum qualifications, they don't apply. Chair Yamada asked if the department still do early hires for officer positions. Acting Chief Bird stated that they have the Police Services Officer position where once you pass everything, someone can be hired prior to the start of the recruit class. Chair Yamada asked if there's a minimum amount of recruit officers that they want. Acting Chief Bird stated that they don't have a minimum and are capitalizing on the continuous recruitment, doing three classes a year. Once they get the positions filled to a comfortable level, they may reduce the amount of classes and have bigger classes, but right now they don't want to lose the interest of people. • Finance: Assistant Chief Shopay reported that the County's transition to a new payroll system has limited their access to detailed budget information that they have relied on for reports. As of June 30, 2026, the target expenditure percentage was 100.00%, with actual expenditures at 98.24%. Regular salaries & wages were at 99.15%, overtime salaries & wages at 323.24%, and miscellaneous salaries & wages at 541.33%. Chair Yamada inquired how officers are doing with submitting their own times in this new system. Assistant Chief Shopay related that officers are having to learn something new as traditionally the clerical staff were doing the inputting. They are exploring taking some of that responsibility away from officers and putting it back on the clerical staff. It's a challenge and a work in progress. • Other Activities: Assistant Chief Shopay handed out the finalized Five-Year Strategic Plan which Acting Chief Bird stated is the culmination of a lot of work. The draft was disseminated to all department employees, and everyone had about a month to review it and provide any input and suggestions. All the ideas were taken into consideration and the plan will serve as a guide for the 2026 to 2030 years by aligning their Department's mission, vision, goals, and actions. It provides organizational direction and a clear focus of resources to ensure long-term success for the department. They have also posted it online on their website. There are a lot of activities that Chief Mahuna has planned to keep the department moving forward. Acting Chief Bird provided an update on various departmental activities: Kona HI-PAL keiki poke contest, Hilo Coffee with a Cop, Keiki motocross event in Hilo, Hilo HI-PAL Blue Light fishing derby, numerous fishing and ocean safety presentations to summer fun and summer school programs, expansion of the popular Kupuna Watch meetings, first-ever Kupuna Day in Kona, Talk Story with the Chief at the Keaau Community Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 7 Center, and numerous Traffic Safety Outreach. The Department remains committed to reducing traffic fatalities and injuries on our island roads. On June 4 there was an unfortunate second fatality in such a short time on DKI, and the plan was to conduct high visibility traffic enforcement on DKI. They also reached out to DOT Director Ed Sniffen, and road improvement work is currently being done on DKI. From June 4-21, 2026, 649 citations were for speeding, 17 for reckless driving violations, 6 for unsafe passing violations, and 509 for other traffic violations. They were unable to sustain that, however, and they also had to take into consideration other roadways where fatalities occur. They are trying to spread their resources so they don't ignore other areas that need their attention. They have reached out to the Sheriffs and trying to come up with a plan. Ultimately, they want to encourage driver responsibility because a lot of accidents are preventable. • Commendations and Awards: Acting Chief Bird reported on several recent recognitions: Officer Adam Roberg was honored with the MADD Award for Innovative Heal Our Highways Traffic Safety Program, a Recognition Ceremony recognized officers earning new ranks and civilian employees advancing in their careers, Officer Andrew Love Jr. was recognized as the Hawaii Island Safety and Security Professionals Association (HISSPA) Officer of the Quarter, and Community Policing Officer John Harvey was honored as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee July Officer of the month. Commissioner Tavares is hearing more about the Supreme Court's decision on the concealed carry law and the need for businesses to inform customers that they're not allowed to come in with a concealed carry. He asked how this is affecting HPD and if they anticipate this being an issue. Acting Chief Bird related that she is not aware of being inundated with calls; however, if a concern is brought to their attention, they will look at the legalities and deal with it. Commissioner Tavares commented that he can't remember the last time in four years that he's gone to the airport and seen Sheriffs pulling someone over. He asked that they let the Commission know if there's anything they can do to support HPD, whether writing letters of support or any initiative to further that collaboration. Acting Chief Bird related that they are in communication with the Sheriffs, and she understands that they have to focus on what their priorities are first and their abilities are not the same as police. Commissioner Tavares inquired about the fire that happened in Waikoloa last week and the evacuation that resulted, and asked what type of collaboration they are doing with Civil Defense and other emergency response departments to help address not being prepared for that level of traffic. Acting Chief Bird related that the community has been participating in the Hulu Holoholo practice evacuations, the Mayor's Office is also working on another possible outlet, and they are in constant communication with Civil Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 8 Defense planning. They are having conversations to mitigate roadway traffic and facilitate traffic flow, but it's a work in progress. Commissioner Tavares reported that the ag community, ranchers and farmers throughout rural Big Island, are seeing a lot of trespassing and poaching. They know the people's names, license plate numbers, vehicles, and the same people will post on social media showing the ranch they are poaching in; but the response they keep getting is none of that is going to hold up in court. He asked if officers can go to the house or send them a letter saying that they are aware of what they're doing. There's got to be some form of deterrent that can be deployed and asked what the ag community can do to work more closely with HPD. Acting Chief Bird related that it sounds like it might need a more long-term solution where maybe our Community Policing may need to get involved or do a covert operation. They have to make sure that they're abiding by what they're legally able to do. It will be difficult for them to knock on somebody's door without certain facts. Acting Chief Bird will arrange a meeting to discuss these issues. Commissioner Lacerte would like to understand the TRO process because she has heard complaints from local people that they don't get served and are sometimes told to hire a private detective. Then when the court date expires, the TRO is no good. Someone said there are 200 TROs and they don't have the manpower to serve them. She stated that there's a reason for that TRO and it's usually physical violence. Acting Chief Bird related that when TROs come to the Police Department, they do their best to contact the person with the information they have and serve them. Unfortunately, they're not always at the locations that are provided to them. Chair Yamada added that for a Family Court TRO, if the petitioner sees the respondent, they can call the police and have the person served. Commissioner Lacerte thinks the process is inadequate when there's physical danger involved. Commissioner Fischer wanted to recognize the whole manhunt efforts and how it was very professional, impressive, and efficient. It was a good representation of the department and all the officers who were involved with it. It was a job well done. Recess was called at 11.00 a.m., and the meeting reconvened at 11:15 a.m. NEW BUSINESS Correspondence No. 26-06 Invitation to Annual Officer of the Year Luncheon: An invitation was received to the Kona Crime Prevention Committee 43rd Annual Officer of the Year Luncheon on September 11, 2026. Correspondence No. 26-07 Invitation to Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officials Association (HSLEOA) Conference and Public Safety & Security Expo: An invitation Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 9 was received for the HSLEOA 70th Conference on September 27-29, 2026, and the Public Safety & Security Expo on September 26, 2026, on Oahu, which is being hosted by the Department of Law Enforcement. Deputy Corporation Counsel Salas-Ferguson reported that pursuant to an HRS rule, two to four Commissioners can attend an informational meeting related to board business. After discussion, Commissioner Fischer was interested in attending the Officer of the Year luncheon, Commissioner Urban-Smith was interested in attending both events, Commissioner Tavares will pass, Chair Yamada was interested in attending both events, and Commissioner Lacerte was interested in attending the Officer of the Year luncheon. A check will be made with the other Commissioners. Formation of a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG): Ms. Cermelj asked if this is a new thing that we're doing today and why is the group going to discuss Commission Rules of Practice and Procedures if those are already in place. Chair Yamada related that we will discuss amending the existing rules and since previous Commissioners are no longer members, we're looking at forming a new group to continue that. It is not necessarily to address problems, but to address procedures that may change over time. DCC Salas-Ferguson reminded Commissioners that a Permitted Interaction Group can be formed to investigate a matter relating to board business, and we can have two to four members in the group. When they're done, it will be put on the agenda for them to present their findings and recommendations, and then Commissioners could discuss what to do with those findings. After discussion, Chair Yamada and Commissioner Lacerte were interested in being a member of the group. Vice Chair Botelho will be contacted to see if she wants to be a member. Commissioner Fischer moved to form a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) to review and propose amendments to the County of Hawaii Police Commission Rules of Practice and Procedures, to include Chair Yamada, Commissioner Lacerte, and Vice Chair Botelho if she's willing to serve on the committee. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Urban-Smith, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. EXECUTIVE SESSION (CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC) Commissioner Tavares motioned to meet in executive session to consider charges against officers or employees of the police department, where matters affecting privacy will be involved and may consult with the board's attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the commission's powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities pursuant to HRS 92- 5(a)(2), 92-5(a)(4) and the Hawaii County Charter Section 13-20 (b). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Fischer, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. Executive session convened at 11.25 a.m. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 10 Motion to reconvene open session was made by Commissioner Tavares. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Urban-Smith, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. The regular session reconvened at 1.25 p.m. ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION MATTERS Investigation of complaints: • HPC 26-08: Complainant alleges the officer revealed departmental information outside of the department. Commissioner Tavares motioned that there was sufficient evidence to refer to the Chief for further investigation. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Lacerte, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. • HPC 26-13(c): Complainant alleges false arrest and false police reports. Commissioner Tavares motioned that there was insufficient evidence to prove the complaint's allegations. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Urban-Smith, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. • HPC 26-15: Complainant alleges the officers towed her vehicle unfairly because they believed what the other person told them. Commissioner Tavares motioned that there was insufficient evidence to prove the complaint's allegations. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Fischer, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING Commissioner Lacerte related that there's a lack of education for a person filing a TRO who thinks that when they file it, the police will serve it but they don't. This will be agendized for the next meeting. Commissioner Lacerte also related that complainants need to be advised that they have access to the body worn camera video because if they see themselves on camera, they probably would not file or may withdraw their complaint. Deputy Corporation Counsel Salas-Ferguson stated that anyone has the right to request records, but the Department will conduct their own analysis on whether they can produce the records or not. He added that is something the PIG can consider as a procedure in the rules. Commissioner Tavares recommended changing the start time of the meeting to 9.30 a.m. Commissioners agreed to change the start time to 9.30 a.m. Commissioner Fischer requested to add two things to the agenda. The first is the overall budget because the last time we discussed the budget, the County hadn't approved it and there may have been revisions. The second item is the five-year plan. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes July 17, 2026 Page 11 Regarding the evaluation of the Chief and criteria the Commissioners will evaluate him on, Commissioners agreed that the discussion will be pushed to September. Commissioners discussed traffic enforcement on Saddle Road and how optics do not communicate the message they're trying to put out there. DCC Salas-Ferguson stated that part of the Commissioners' duties is to advise the Chief on police-community relations, so we could ask the police to present on their traffic enforcement on Saddle Road and then we could ask questions. When Commissioners want to discuss something, it needs to be put on the agenda. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2026, at 9.30 a.m., at the County Building, Puna Conference Room, Suite #1402, 25 Aupuni St., Hilo, Hawaii. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 2.10 p.m. SUBMITTED BY: LYNN PETERSEN, SECRETARY APPROVED BY: GREG YAMADA, CHAIR