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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-08-22 Police Commission Regular Minutes HAWAI‘I POLICE COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION MINUTES AUGUST 22, 2014 WAIMEA CIVIC CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM 67-5189 KAMAMALU ST., KAMUELA, HAWAI‘I CALL TO ORDER Chair Bertsch called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: John M. Bertsch, Chair Guy K. Schutte, Vice Chair Peter L. Hendricks, Commissioner Keith T. Morioka, Commissioner Kenneth T. Ono, Commissioner Leroy J. Victorine, Commissioner Absent: Robert G. Gomes, Sr., Commissioner Karolyn P. Lundkvist, Commissioner Kenneth T. Ono, Commissioner A quorum was present. Also Present: Harry Kubojiri, Police Chief Paul Ferreira, Deputy Police Chief Marshall Kanehailua, Assistant Chief Paul Kealoha, Assistant Chief Henry Tavares, Assistant Chief Kenneth Bugado, Captain Katherine Garson, Deputy Corporation Counsel Josie Pelayo, Secretary STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS (None) APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Victorine motioned to approve the agenda. Commissioner Morioka seconded, and it carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Victorine motioned to approve the minutes of July 18, 2014, regular and executive sessions. Commissioner Morioka seconded, and it carried unanimously. POLICE CHIEF’S REPORT ON DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES Crime report by area, category, and trends: Assistant Chief Tavares reported that up through July 31, there were 810 serious crimes. The Criminal Investigation Units investigated 175 of those cases, 134 in Area I and 41 in Area II. The crime trend shows an increase in unauthorized entry into motor vehicles which spiked last month in the Waiakea area. They will put out a media release telling the public to Hawai‘i Police Commission Regular Session Minutes August 22, 2014 Page 2 lock their cars even if it is in their garage, especially in the Waiakea area. Puna had a slight increase in burglaries not related to tropical storm Iselle. Burglary rates in Puna do fluctuate, and they continue working with CPOs and community watch groups. In Kona, they continue to have complaints of the homeless sleeping in cars and parks. They are working with community organizations to address this problem and have increased bike and foot patrol.Ka’u had a decrease in burglaries and thefts. They continue with police presence at night. They continue to education the public in crime prevention. Three drug warrants were executed in Ka’u last month. Traffic report by area, category, and trends: Assistant Chief Kealoha reported that in July, 3,509 citations were issued – 2,542 moving/regulatory, 233 seatbelt, 28 child restraint, and 706 speeding. The fatality count is the same as this time last year. No traffic trends were identified. They did not have storm related issues. Personnel report on vacancies, recruitment, training, promotions, severance from service, reallocations, and work assignments. Assistance Chief Kanehailua reported having 10 sworn vacancies. The current recruit class started with 16, but after 2 resignations, they now have 14. They will start another recruitment and will work with the current list of individuals who already took the written test. They now have to go through the agility test. The PO III selections should be in place by September 15.These are temporary promotions for specialized units such as Vice, Juvenile Aid Section, School Resource Officer, and Traffic Enforcement Unit. They have 24 civilian vacancies. An individual from the mainland turned down their offer for the criminalist position due to monetary issues. They have two openings in IT, one person retired and the other is a new position. They continue to have openings in dispatch. Finance report of budget and expenditures: Assistant Chief Kanehailua reported that due to the hurricane, officers had to work 12-hour shifts, and they spent a lot on overtime. Deputy Chief Ferreira stated that county funds pay for it all unless they get money from the Federal Government. Commendations of sworn and civilian employees: Chief Kubojiri reported receiving 6 commendations since the last meeting involving 14 personnel: S. Hilo - 3, Puna - 2, and Kona – 1. Other departmental activities: Chief Kubojiri reported that island-wide, they were well-prepared for tropical storm Iselle. Puna took the brunt of the storm. They couldn’t get access to Kapoho and lower Puna due to the downed trees and wires. There were reports of looting, mainly in social media. It was false and escalated the anxiety of people. Their entire CID personnel were put in uniform and patrolled the area in marked vehicles 24/7. The visibility of marked cars helped to comfort people. In addition, the National Guard was sent to Puna to make sure people were okay and to help relieve the anxiety level. Not having electricity was a big problem. Initially, the ice centers were pretty chaotic, and they ran out of ice. They posted Hawai‘i Police Commission Regular Session Minutes August 22, 2014 Page 3 officers at the distribution centers for presence. Overall, from the police prospective, it went well for spending a very long time post disaster. They stayed out there until the end. CID is still patrolling 24/7, and the National Guard is pulling out today. They started out working 12-hour shifts.The police stations were opened up for officers who couldn’t easily get home, to rest and take showers. The command vehicle was sent out, and they were able to use its restroom and for recouping before going back out again. They pretty much adapted to the situation. He is very proud of their personnel. No police facilities were damaged, but there was some damage to vehicles. Chair Bertsch said he was impressed by how the police handled the situation. Prior to the storm, Assistant Chief Kealoha explained their plans to him. He thanked the Chief and the department for planning, implementation, and keeping everyone safe. EXECUTIVE SESSION Commissioner Victorine motioned to meet in executive session to consult with Corporation Counsel on questions and issues pertaining to the commission's powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities; to consider discipline and charges against officers or employees of the Hawai‘i Police Department; and to consider sensitive matters relating to public safety pursuant to HRS 92-5 (a) (2) (4) (6) and the Hawai‘i County Charter Section 13-20 (b). Vice Chair Schutte seconded, and it carried unanimously. Executive session convened at 9:55 a.m. Regular session reconvened at 10:30 a.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chair Bertsch announced that the Police Commission’s next monthly meeting will be on Friday, September 19, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., in the Aupuni Center Conference Rm., 101 Pauahi St., Hilo, Hawai‘i. Collection of files and documents. (Done) ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m. SUBMITTED BY: JOSIE PELAYO, SECRETARY APPROVED: JOHN BERTSCH, CHAIR