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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-11-18 Police Commission Minutes HAWAII POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 18, 2011 WAIMEA CIVIC CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Leroy Victorine called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leroy J. Victorine, Vice Chair Carol R. Ignacio, Commissioner Michelle L. Kualii, Commissioner Kenneth T. ono, Commissioner T. Ka'ili Pe`a-Ferrari, Commissioner Michael B. Sumja, Commissioner Excused: Donn S. Mende, Chair Paul W. Horner, Commissioner Also Present: Harry S. Kubojiri, Police Chief Paul K. Ferreira, deputy Chief Marshall Kanehailua, Assistant Chief Paul Kealoha, Assistant Chief Randy Apele, Major Samuel Kawamoto, Captain Lincoln S. T. Ashida, Corporation Counsel Josie Pelayo, Secretary APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Sumja moved to approve the agenda. Commissioner Ignacio seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 21, 2011 Commissioner Sumja moved to approve the minutes. Commissioner ono seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS Commissioner Sumja moved to accept the communications as listed on the agenda. Commissioner Pe`a-Ferrari seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. CHIEF'S REPORT ON DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES Including: • Crime: Major Randall Apele summarized the written report. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 18, 2011 Page 2 • Traffic: Assistant Chief Paul Kealoha summarized the written report. Commissioner Ono suggested putting out a media release about the use of cell phone use while driving. Commissioner Ignacio spoke about seeing an unrestrained child in a car and asked for suggestions on how they can help them to be more responsible. Assistant Chief Kealoha stated that if they could get information about the driver/vehicle, Traffic Services could send the person a letter reminding them about the law. Vice Chair asked if they had any statistics on drivers impeding or holding up traffic. A.C. Kealoha stated that they don't have that information but could research it for the next meeting. • Personnel (Including, but not limited to work and training assignments, promotions, reallocations, severance from service, automobile allowances, and appointments.) Assistant Chief Kanehailua reported that by the end of this year they will have six, possibly seven police officers retiring. Their COPS grant for six officers has been send to the County Council for approval. The grant pays for three years, and then county has to pick up the cost on the fourth year and thereafter. He will let Ms. Pelayo know when it is scheduled to go before the County Council. In the past month they lost a number of dispatchers. Nineteen officers as are being assigned to districts. There have been a number of transfers. They received over 600 applications for the new police officer recruitment. Regarding CALEA, the proofs for compliance are very strict. Maui and Honolulu are the only accredited counties. They anticipate being accredited in July 2012. He invited the commissioners to stop by the police station to review all that they are doing for CALEA. Reaccreditation is done three years later. They have had to put a lot of work in training, administration, evidence, and cellblock. A five-year plan is required. Their accreditation team is made up of three people, a lieutenant and two sergeants. Chief Kubojid stated that CALEA does cost a lot of money. They have to be committed to taking resources and personnel and dedicating them full-time to the position. Positions were taken away from other departments. They have to be committed to the mission to get accredited according to national standards. • Finance: Assistant Chief Kanehailua reported that they are sending their budget to County Finance with a 10% cut. • Commendations: Chief Kubojiri reported receiving eleven commendations since the last meeting. He reported that several months ago, Maui Police Department personnel came over to look at their armored Strategic Response Team's (SRT) vehicle. Police Chief Yabuta was extremely impressed with the professionalism of their personnel. Commissioner Ignacio reported that in her organization, their goal is to get the chronically homeless into housing. Community Policing Officers took them out to find Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 18, 2011 Page 3 homeless people. They took them to places where they didn't even know people were. They saw the other side of the police officers and she commended them for their professionalism. She further reported that last Wednesday, they held an island-wide summit on homelessness. She thanked the Police Department for their assistance, especially Majors Randy Apele and James O'Connor. Vice Chair Victorine commended Lt. Esteban and the Police Department for their professional response to the family of an automobile accident victim. OTHER DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES: • Aloha Training: Commissioner Sumja asked if they could take the Aloha Training off of hold and getting Dr. Alameda. Chief Kubojiri stated that the training is not on hold. They are being creative and finding other ways of doing it without the trainer they want. Dr. Alameda is willing to accommodate the police department, but because of the publicity that was published, he doesn't want to expose his family Commissioner Ignacio stated that that they let a grave injustice just pass by. Dr. Alameda is the best in his class. In our diverse culture, it is not enough to just connect with the participants, but Dr. Alameda brings a whole background of the people that officers have to deal with. She totally respects Dr. Alameda's private life, but they let this kind of shenanigans control the resources that are available to the department and their employees. The commission should go on record to say that the whole nonsense should not have been allowed to get to where it has been allowed to go. As a commission, they owe it to Dr. Alameda, the department, and to the public that the community is less for it because they allowed this to happen. They need to put it on record that these things are not going to continue in the future because of politics and journalism. The Police Commission, allowing somebody to be raked across the coals, and not saying or doing anything about it, is an issue. Chief Kubojiri stated that Dr. Alameda wants to remain private and not expose his family to the press. A vast majority of the public believes what's printed in the papers as being facts. The public doesn't know that training is exempt from the bidding process. They did not violate anything. Commissioner Sumja stated that it is difficult to have a fabulous resource and take second best. Chief Kubojiri stated that Dr. Alameda is the best. He is here and he understands our culture. • International Association of Police Chiefs: Chief Kubojiri reported that he attended the International Association of Police Chiefs conference in Chicago. They have hundreds of training sessions that covered everything they could possibly think about such as CALEA, drug trade, human trafficking, resources that are available to local enforcement, officers who die in a lie of duty, and may other issues. It was money well spent. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 18, 2011 Page 4 • Grants for Police officers: Chief Kubojiri stated that he received calls from individuals in the County Council saying that they wanted the new positions that were received with grant money to go in their district. He told the individuals that the council accepts the funding, but they do not tell him where the positions go. • Vacancies: Chief Kubojiri reported that by the end of this year, they will have three vacant captain's positions. There will be ripple effects as they make promotions. Recess was called at 10:25 a.m. The meeting reconvened at 10:42 a.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION Commissioner Sumja moved to meet in executive session to consider discipline and charges against officers or employees of the Hawaii Police Department, to consider sensitive matters relating to public safety, to discuss the evaluation of the Police Chief, and to consult with Corporation Counsel on questions and issues pertaining to the commission's powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities pursuant to HRS 92-5 (a) (2) (4) (5) and the Hawaii County Charter Section 13-20 (b). Commissioner Ignacio seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Executive session convened at 10:43 a.m. Regular session reconvened at 11:50 a.m. NEW BUSINESS • Discussion on candidates for Chair and Vice Chair of the Police Commission for 2012. Selection will be done in December: Commissioner stated that they need new blood in the group, and they have new blood. He wants more people involved who haven't been involved. He nominated Ken Ono as Chair and Carol Ignacio as Vice Chair for selection at the next meeting. Commissioner Kualii seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Both accepted. Additional nominations may be made at the next meeting. • Annual Performance Evaluation of Police Chief Harry Kubojiri: Commissioner Sumja stated that when they have the Chief s evaluation, it is very important that they give everything that they feel inside, and not just try to make him feel good. That's not what it's about. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Status report from the investigative committee formed to review the Police Department's Vision/Mission Plan. (Members: Ono (Chair), Horner, Ignacio, Sumja) Commissioner Ono stated that at the last meeting they formed the committee. A couple of weeks later, Commissioner Horner indicated that he could not be a member because of time commitments. Vice Chair Victorine had expressed an interest, but replacing Paul Horner had to be done at a regular Police Commission meeting. Commissioner Ono moved to replace Paul Horner with Leroy Victorine. Commissioner Ignacio seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Commissioner Ono will work with Ms. Pelayo to schedule a meeting. Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes November 18, 2011 Page 5 Corporation Ashida stated that only the four of them may communicate regarding committee matters. ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION MATTERS Complaint HPC 11-20: Complainant alleged that while being processed, an officer yelled at him, pushed him with his wrist, and used unnecessary force when fingerprinting him. Commissioner Sumja moved to defer the complaint to the next meeting in December. Commissioner Ignacio seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS • Vice Chair Victorine announced that the next monthly meeting will be on Thursday, December 15, at 10:00 a.m., in the Puna Conference Room, Hawaii County Building, 25 Aupuni St., Hilo. • Vice Chair Victorine announced that they will have a meeting to conduct an annual performance evaluation of Police Chief Harry Kubojiri on Friday, December 16, at 9:00 a.m., in the Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi St., Hilo. • Collection of files and documents. — Done. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:09 p.m. SUBMITTED: JOSIE PELAYO, SECRETARY APPROVED: LEROY VICTORINE, VICE CHAIR