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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-18 Police Commission Regular Minutes HAWAII POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 18, 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 9:30 a.m. Present: Greg Yamada, Chair Lloyd Enriquez, Commissioner Eileen Lacerte, Commissioner Allen Salavea, Commissioner Jacob Tavares, Commissioner Bernadette Urban-Smith, Commissioner Absent: Wendy Botelho, Vice Chair Franz "Junior" Fischer, Commissioner A quorum was present. Also present: Reed Mahuna, Police Chief Sherry Bird, Deputy Police Chief Rio Amon-Wilkins, Assistant Chief Kenneth Quiocho, Assistant Chief Thomas Shopay, Assistant Chief Scott Amaral, Major Tuck Loy Aurelio, Captain Edwin Buyten, Captain Sinclair Salas-Ferguson, Deputy Corporation Counsel Lynn Petersen, Secretary Jendi Saldana, Secretary STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS • There were no testifiers. APPROVAL OF MINUTES • Commissioner Tavares moved to approve the regular and executive session minutes for July 17, 2026. Commissioner Salavea seconded the motion, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. POLICE CHIEFS REPORT ON DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES Items from the Chief's written reports were highlighted: • Crime Report: Assistant Chief Quiocho reported 847 serious crimes reported through August 31, 2026. Areas I and II Criminal Investigation units investigated 133 of those (69 in Area I and 64 in Area II). Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 2 • Calls for Service: For the month of August 2026, the department received 9,668 calls for service (FYTD: 19,046). • Traffic Report: Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins reported the traffic statistics as of September 8, 2026. For FY 2026-27, there were 167 traffic crashes compared to 165 at this time last year, an increase of 1%; traffic fatalities totaled 5, compared to 1 the year prior; there were 2 DUI fatalities compared to 0 the year prior; DUI arrests were 139 compared to 136 the year prior, a 2% increase; and there were 62 DUI arrests, which is actually down from the previous year at 77. A total of 6,243 citations were issued, including 4,382 moving/regulatory violations, 401 seat belt violations, 34 child restraint violations, and 1,290 speeding citations. This equates to approximately 201 citations issued each day last month, and approximately 41 of those were for speeding each day. Commissioner Urban-Smith related that in Kona specifically, there is a fairly high number for speeding and asked if there's a way to tell whether the speeder is a resident or visitor. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins stated that they could look that up, but they would have to go through pretty much every citation to look at the address. He believes the overwhelming majority of the citations are to residents. Commissioner Urban-Smith added that if there is a high number of visitors that are being tagged for speeding, maybe there's a way to look into a broader informational system to educate visitors on basic traffic safety. Commissioner Lacerte added that it would be an easy statistic using Al to get a handle of how many citations were to visitors. Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins related that they can check with their IT about that and the person who manages their Records Management System to see if there's some way they can start doing that. Commissioner Urban-Smith asked how much a ticket is for speeding, to which Assistant Chief Amon-Wilkins related that there is a scale based on the amount of miles over the speed limit. Officers have a chart so they don't have to do the math on every single one and will provide that information at the next meeting. Commissioner Urban-Smith related that drastically increasing the amount of the speeding ticket would deter people from speeding. Chair Yamada related that when he was on patrol, he probably gave tourists more breaks depending on the type of offense but found that educating them when stopping them helps. He added that when he stopped a vehicle, whether he's giving a tag or not, it's very visible to all the other passing motorists and they are being educated at the same time. He further observed that with no passing zones and speed limits being lowered, there are more people passing on the right shoulder. Assistant Chief Amon- Wilkins stated that they can change passing zones and speed limits, but it's a lot more difficult and takes a lot longer to change people's behavior. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 3 • Vice Report: Captain Edwin Buyten reported that he recently took a course for six months, and a month of that course was traffic focused where they talked about physical deterrence like seeing a patrol officer and signs, followed by education. Captain Buyten reported Vice Division activity for August 2026. Seizures included 265 grams of methamphetamine, 25 grams of cocaine, 2.7 grams of powdered fentanyl, 728 grams of dried marijuana (just a little over a pound and a half), and 78 marijuana plants. Various prescription pills, drug paraphernalia, 5 grams of Psilocybin, two firearms, and just shy of 300 rounds of ammunition were also seized. They effected 12 arrests with 52 offenses and served 25 search warrants. Commissioner Lacerte related that she saw a news report about a drug more lethal than fentanyl that is hitting the states. Captain Buyten indicated that Carfentanil is far more deadly than fentanyl, and there may have been one or two cases here. Captain Buyten related that fentanyl could be put into pills and be hidden in any drug. They did find it mixed with cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and it's deadly. • Personnel Report: Assistant Chief Shopay reported as of August 31, 2026, there were 88 sworn vacancies in the field; subtract nine recruits in the 105t" recruit class, seven in the 107t" recruit class, and ten in the 107t" recruit class, there were 62 actual unfilled positions. The larger class that they're looking at would be the 108t" recruit class starting on November 16t". There were 105 individuals that passed the written test and 85 attended the agility test. For Police Communications Officer I and II, 31 positions were filled and 8 were vacant and they are about to issue conditional offers to fill those vacancies. All five Supervising Police Communications Officer positions were filled. • Finance: This month, as in previous months, our Finance Division is not able to get reports from the County's CoHnect system so they're going on their internal accounting. As of August 31, 2026, the target expenditure percentage was 19.88%, with actual expenditures at 20.12%. The challenge with that is with the storms that have recently passed, there are going to be overtime expenditures but they don't have validation from the County to see what the actual expenditures were. Commissioner Tavares inquired if they have been given any sort of timeline as far as when the County will have that system online. Assistant Chief Shopay related that they were not given a timeline, but they continue to inquire about getting updates. Commissioner Tavares asked if there's a duplication of efforts happening right now as a result, to which Assistant Shopay said yes. When they were able to run reports through the County, it would validate what they have but now they're creating their own tracking internally just to have some idea of where they are. Commissioner Tavares asked Executive Assistant Micah Alameda if he has an understanding of when the accounting system is going to be ready for reporting. Executive Assistant Alameda Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 4 stated that he can go back and do what he can to get HPD what they need. Commissioner Tavares asked how difficult it would be to put together some sort of report in the interim to review the financials which would be helpful metrics for them to support and understand. Assistant Chief Shopay stated that the financial report that he reports on will be provided to Commissioners each month. • Other Activities: Chief Mahuna provided an update on departmental activities: The first Gun Buyback event at the Hilo Police Station provided community members with a safe and honest way to dispose of unwanted firearms with no questions asked; American Cancer Society Relay for Life; 1st Annual Fill a Police Cruiser Back-to-School Supply Drive in Kona; first-ever Stuff Da Bus in Keaau; School Beautification Project in Waikoloa; Kaukau 4 Keiki Summer Meal Program; South Kohala Fishing Derby in Kawaihae; Richardson Ocean Park Beach Cleanup in Hilo; Talk Story with the Chief— Chief held a talk story session in every district except Kau which was scheduled during the week of the hurricane; HONOUR Project in Kona that was a restoration project at Kailua Pier; Hurricane Lala Fill a Cruiser Fundraiser to help those island-wide affected by the hurricane; Second Annual HI-PAL Youth Music Showcase in Kona; Traffic Safety Outreach to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries on our island roads through enhanced enforcement and community outreach; K9 Moose Welcomed; and K9 Trina Finds Endangered Runaway. • Commendations and Awards: Chief Mahuna reported on several recent recognitions: The 105t" Police Recruit Class with nine new officers graduated; Chief promoted Major Levon Stevens who is now assigned to the Technical Services Division and Captain Zachary Fernando who is now assigned to the Administration Section; the Haweo Award was presented to Detective John Kari; Officer Joshua Flores was honored as the Kau Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter; Officer Travis Wong was named the Hawaii Island Safety and Security Professionals Association (HISSPA) Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter; Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaii held their quarterly ceremony recognizing Officer Edward Petrie, Sergeant Matthew Lewis, and Officer Calvin Furtado; Kona Crime Prevention Committee August Officer of the Month was Officer Rylan Fujii; and Officer Eli Dominic Cayetano was named the Kona Crime Prevention Committee's Officer of the Year for 2026. Deputy Chief Sherry Bird touched on some other department activities and highlights and elaborated on the Five-Year Strategic Plan. One of the highlights is the recruitment unit that is solely focused on recruitment efforts, and those positions have been established. The next one is the establishment of the agricultural crimes unit as it relates to trespassing, illegal hunting, criminal property damage, and theft of fruit and livestock. The unit will consist of two detectives, one on each side of the island, who will track all of the events that are ag related and build strong cases that are prosecuted successfully. The next one is their cyber-crimes unit consisting of two detectives on either side of the island. The Junior Police Leadership Academy will be a summer Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 5 camp from June 13 through 19, 2027, at KMC. Any Police Commissioner who is interested in assisting or observing in any way can reach out to Deputy Chief Bird. Commissioner Tavares related that the gun buyback program seems like a fantastic effort and asked if there would be no questions even if police suspect a gun to be evidence. Chief Mahuna said that no questions will be asked, and that goes for unregistered firearms as well. Commissioner Tavares inquired about the community outreach strategy which police did a lot over this time which is fantastic and asked if they had a target demographic, cadence, or metric that they're trying to hit when doing these outreach activities. Chief Mahuna stated that there are actually a lot of events that don't make it into the highlights that he provides to the Commission. If his schedule permits, he will attend all events that he is invited to. He decided to go around the island and have a talk story session in every district, and he has done that except for Kau and will continue to do that on a quarterly basis instead of every month. He also has employee top story sessions which they finished with every district. Commissioner Tavares asked from a departmental perspective, what's the thought process to decide that they're going to do a cleanup, if they want to feel more engaged with a certain community, and how do they prioritize their events. Chief Mahuna stated that Community Police Officers (CPO) are assigned to sections within districts so when community members give feedback on what they want or need, then our CPOs will do a project. Some of these are long-standing events that have been done for a long time and some are new. Our CPOs also have great ideas and they will work on that. Commissioner Tavares thanked them for their efforts in putting together an agricultural crimes task force. Those people are seeing a difference and really appreciate the attention. NEW BUSINESS Correspondence No. 26-08 Appreciation Letter from Hawaii Democrats: Commissioners reviewed the appreciation letter regarding police officers' presence at their grand rally event at Mooheau Bandstand in Hilo on July 25, 2026. Correspondence No. 26-11 Letter requesting assistance or guidance: Commissioners reviewed a letter from a citizen requesting assistance regarding the death of a family member. In summary, his mother passed away and he was having a hard time finalizing her estate or officially identifying her body. Deputy Chief Bird related that their Administration did receive a copy of this letter and the matter is resolved. Hawaii Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Plan on Daniel K. Inouye Highway/Saddle Road: Chief Mahuna stated that they conduct regular enforcement on DKI/Saddle Road and also do targeted enforcement with their Traffic Enforcement Unit. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 6 They've done several high-profile enforcement efforts, but they have also done enforcement where they don't publicize it. They had fatals that occurred on the highway while officers were actively up there doing traffic enforcement. It's not an easy task to get people to behave differently, but they do a lot of visible enforcement and do the best they can with their resources. There are also other areas of the island that have significant fatalities, like in Puna and on the Hamakua coast. Chair Yamada asked if fatalities are up this year, to which Chief Mahuna said they are up significantly. Chief Mahuna stated that they've had years that are significantly higher than others but it doesn't make it less troubling. Recently they had a vehicle overtaking in fog and rain and killed a member of our community. We continue to see this behavior and it's very frustrating, but they continue to think of ways that they can educate the public as well as provide deterrents. Chair Yamada brought out that police are only one factor in this situation and this is a systemic problem. He asked if they noticed any trend that can be identified regarding crashes, fatalities, or causes that are different now than they were five years ago. Chief Mahuna related that when there is bad weather, people continue to drive in a reckless manner and that is troubling. DKI is well known and people drive it often that they know where there are turns and possible ponding water and a lot has been done by State DOT to address that, but people are still driving recklessly in bad weather conditions and end up in in situations where they kill someone. Commissioner Enriquez stated that when driving over Saddle this morning, he counted nine memorials on the side of the road. He appreciates the officers being out there, but he would think that seeing these memorials would have a much greater effect and bring more awareness to drivers and tourists. Chair Yamada added that he made the suggestion previously about State Highways putting up one of those giant lighted signs that say how many days since the last death on this road. Commissioner Enriquez inquired about the State's involvement as far as sheriffs being up there and not just at the airports since he can't remember when there was a fatality at the airport. He asked how they can prioritize their involvement because their cars are very noticeable. Chief Mahuna indicated that they have reached out to the Department of Law Enforcement who has assisted them in the past, but their assistance has been very limited. Commissioner Tavares related that he's heard after so many DUIs a person's license is revoked or suspended, and asked if the same can be for reckless driving and speeding if there are multiple infractions. Chief Mahuna stated that after you have a certain number of DUIs within a certain period of time, those DUIs become a more serious offense and those offenses come with additional consequences through the judiciary. But when it comes to citing people for speeding, the biggest penalty that occurs is not having insurance; and unfortunately, some people will drive without insurance. It takes a lot for the judiciary to incarcerate somebody when it comes to traffic violations. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 7 Chair Yamada related that with the latest fatality, the guy was charged with manslaughter and not negligent homicide which is a move in the right direction. Chief Mahuna related that he was in the Traffic Enforcement Unit and when it comes to negligent homicide cases, there are different investigative steps that take time and can't always be done within the 48 hours that you need to charge someone. But now they have prosecutors and officers that are better trained and different technologies, and they will aggressively get all the investigative work necessary to lay the groundwork for a charge. Commissioner Lacerte indicated that it's sad that they can only take steps when there's a homicide, and it seems like there should be something that legislation can do. Chief Mahuna stated that the department would absolutely support legislation that makes the penalties for traffic infractions or reckless driving tougher. Hawaii Police Department's Policies regarding TRO Service: Commissioner Lacerte related that she did a little investigating herself and submitted a report. Her report showed that there are some issues from the Police Department's standpoint which is mostly personnel, but she found bigger problems on the courtroom side. She was with one woman for an hour and a half at court and they never called her. She wants to know whether the TRO is still in effect if it hasn't been served by the court date. An officer said once the court date has passed, they can't serve it. The whole TRO system is tragic and it's heartbreaking watching women having to go into the courthouse to fill out papers, looking over their shoulder, and then leaving the courthouse thinking that they're now protected and they're not. Commissioner Lacerte asked how long it takes the TRO to get to the police station and why are the court dates expiring. She asked a couple of officers who indicated that they have 200-300 sitting there at a time so right there is an issue. She knows some would have more priority than others, but we have to look at getting those served before the court date expires. Also in talking to officers, she understands the person they need to serve may be homeless or a drug person on the street and can't find them. Chief Mahuna stated that they are inundated with papers for service, whether it be subpoenas, TROs, or other papers; however, they have identified that there's room for improvement. He has tasked his bureau commanders to develop a process in which they will assign people to get the most important papers served, which are the orders for protection. Chief has also been doing some research on what other jurisdictions are doing. There is a collaborative effort between HPD, investigators and victim advocates at the Prosecutor's Office, and DLE sheriffs and Chief hopes to get other agencies involved. Chief also related that someone can hire a process server, but a lot of people don't have the resources to hire someone. Commissioner Urban-Smith spoke from experience when she had an issue and needed to have a TRO served. She did not rely on HPD but took it upon herself to do research, and there are guidelines on who can serve the TRO for you which is the route she took. Like Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 8 speeding there is only so much that HPD can do; same with TROs, there is so much that HPD can do and it's up to the community member to also share the burden of serving it. Commissioner Lacerte related that it's such a foreign process to them. She discovered that states, Hawaii is one of them, are looking into filing TROs online so they don't have to go into the courthouse. She feels that when they file a TRO, they should be handed something that has information on serving it and support systems. Education is lacking. Commissioner Urban-Smith agreed and said that she did not know the protocol, detailed information, and what it consists. She agrees that it would have been helpful if she received an informational sheet with guidelines and stipulations. Commissioner Enriquez stated that he works for the schools for over 30 years and 10 years ago they had almost zero TROs. In the past few years the stack is ridiculous. Chief Mahuna related that they are getting more TROs than they have in the past and it's probably by a significant margin. Commissioner Salavea asked if there is a website or flyer that is provided to community members filing a TRO. Chief Mahuna was not sure if there was but will check on that. He also mentioned that they could get it on their website to assist people. Commissioner Salavea added that from listening to the discussion, it does take personal initiative but having information to understand the process and being informed about what to expect would be helpful. Commissioner Lacerte related that through her research, one woman's TRO had errors so somebody at the courthouse told them to go to Child and Family Services and they will help fill it out correctly. Hawaii Police Department's FY 2026-27 Budget: Chair Yamada asked if this should be deferred until we have the budget information. Commissioner Tavares motioned to defer this agenda item to the next Police Commission meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Salavea, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. Hawaii Police Department's 2026-2030 Five-Year Strategic Plan: Chair Yamada asked if this should be deferred for similar reasons. Commissioner Lacerte related that she did a study into the five-year plan which is beautiful, but there are so many financial pieces missing. It's in-depth but there's no budget to support it and without the financial data, there was no way to determine what we could do to support it. Chief Mahuna stated that when he was selected Chief, they were already in the final stages of the budget cycle so there was no way for him to take this plan and budget it. Chief went to the Mayor who reviewed the plan and committed that he was going to help see the plan through. Chief didn't want to wait until the next budget cycle because they wanted to move forward, and there were things that the department and the community need. Chief understands that more information is needed, and he will get that information to the Commission. In the past their department had long five-year plans that were 30-50 pages long, but Chief wanted his team who will help implement the plan to have something Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 9 that they can go to understand the direction and vision of the department. An example is the camp that they're having. There's no budget for that; however, Chief has been able to get monetary commitments from different council members to use their contingency funds and from the Department of Transportation. The plan was intentionally made to be a living document that was easy for his people to implement, move forward, and understand. Commissioner Tavares stated that when they propose a new budget for a calendar year or fiscal year, it would be helpful to have a general overview of the budget items and how they tie to the strategic plan. As a Commission, they want to know how they can best support and advocate those things to the County Council. Chief Mahuna stated that he really appreciates the support of the Commissioners, and working together is what's going to make their department the best that it can be and to serve the community in the best way that they can. EXECUTIVE SESSION (CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC) Commissioner Salavea 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 Tavares, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. Recess was called at 11:17 a.m. and executive session convened at 11:38 a.m. Motion to reconvene open session was made by Commissioner Tavares. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Salavea, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. The regular session reconvened at 12:50 p.m. Correspondence No. 26-10: Request for reconsideration of HPC 26-13(C): Ms. Alohalani Hope Cermelj addressed the Commission and said it means everything to her to clear her name and presented more documents. She stated that the theft case regarding her hose has been dropped by the Prosecutor's Office, saying it was frivolous and were false allegations. Today she was forced to go to the Kona station to get her personal and private belongings, and it took from March 18 to the present day to get her property back after the officer walked on her property without her knowledge or permission. As she stated in a previous meeting, no one's above the law. Officers do not follow protocol, do not give someone their Miranda rights, and do not get back on emails or phone calls. She asked if she's wrong to ask for these officers that don't follow protocol and their mission statement to be retrained and show a little compassion, especially for seniors. She's hoping she can get results and not like the last letter that was given to her that she didn't give enough evidence because now there's a bunch of evidence. Chair Yamada informed Ms. Cermelj that they have listened to her testimony and will rule on it. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 10 ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION MATTERS Investigation of complaints: • HPC 26-17: Complainant alleges the officer failed to address a complaint. Commissioner Tavares motioned that there was insufficient evidence to prove the complainant's allegations. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Salavea, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. • HPC 26-19: Complainant alleges the officer acted in an unprofessional disrespectful, and unnecessarily aggressive manner during a traffic stop. Commissioner Tavares motioned that there was sufficient evidence to refer to Chief for customer service. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Salavea, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. • Correspondence No. 26-10: Request for consideration of HPC 26-13(C): Complainant alleges false arrest and false police reports. At its July meeting, the Commission determined there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of misconduct. Chair Yamada stated that for the record, there was no motion to reconsider. • Complaints in the non-acceptance category HPC 26-20 and HPC 26-24. DCC Salas-Ferguson related that under Rule 6, these two complaints were put in the non-acceptance category by the chairperson. At today's meeting, the Commission may sustain or reverse that original determination by a majority vote. Motion to sustain Chair Yamada's determination for both matters, HPC 26-20 and HPC 26-24, was made by Commissioner Salavea. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Urban-Smith, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING Commissioner Urban-Smith would like to have a discussion about the MPD situation and if we have protocols in place in our own department. DCC Salas-Ferguson clarified that Commissioner Urban-Smith would like to inquire whether our Police Department has procedures, controls, or protections against police officers abusing their powers. Commission Urban-Smith is looking for clarification when someone reports directly to the Chief. Commissioner Tavares added that they want to understand the controls and protocols that are in place, not necessarily questioning them, to prevent that from happening here. Commissioner Urban-Smith added that it's a good opportunity for us to show that we are aware of things happening, and we care enough to bring forth questions to educate ourselves as a Commission and safeguard our home. Commissioner Tavares asked Chair if he could call Chief just to give him some context behind the question. Commissioner Urban Smith motioned to place on the agenda for the next meeting an inquiry into HPD's controls and procedures to prevent high-level employees from concealing abuse of police authority, and to assign Chair Yamada to consult with Chief Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes September 18, 2026 Page 11 Mahuna on this agenda item in preparation for the next meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Tavares, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. Commissioner Tavares inquired who were going to the Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officials Association (HSLEOA) Conference. Commissioner Urban-Smith related that she and Vice Chair Botelho were attending. Commissioner Tavares will be speaking at the conference and asked for a debrief from those attending on what they learned. Commissioner Tavares motioned to place on the agenda for the next meeting a debrief by the participating Commissioners to the 2026 HSLEOA Conference. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Salavea, with no discussion, and the motion carried unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., at the County Building, Puna Conference Room, Suite #1501, 25 Aupuni St., Hilo, Hawaii. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:16 p.m. SUBMITTED BY: LYNN PETERSEN, SECRETARY APPROVED BY: GREG YAMADA, CHAIR