Kaua‘i County has plans to use a professional search service company to find its next police chief.
Despite a possible legal snafu over the county’s expressed desire to hire someone from within the state, the Kauai Police Commission will work in tandem with an independent company to find the Kauai Police Department’s next chief.
Exactly which company it will be may be known this week. Once candidates are identified, the company will screen applicants and present four or five top candidates from which the commission can make its decision, police commissioner Thomas Iannucci said yesterday.
The process for hiring the new chief is scheduled to come up during the police commission meeting at the historic County Building Friday at 9 a.m.
The county feels hiring a company will eliminate any appearance of impropriety by the commissioners, eliminating accusations that political motivations played a role in the selection of the new chief, Iannucci said.
“This method ensures the most integrity in the process,” he said.
A company can find the most qualified candidates for top government and law enforcement jobs throughout the country, Iannucci said.
K.C. Lum retired as Kaua‘i police chief last summer after the Kaua‘i Board of Ethics found that former commissioner Mike Ching acted improperly during the process to make Lum the chief.
Harold Venneman, once Lum’s deputy police chief, was initially the acting chief after Lum’s departure. Venneman’s stint as acting chief was short-lived; he was demoted to traffic duty a short time later.
Clayton Arinaga, the next person in the chain of command at the department, was then made acting chief. He appointed Gordon Isoda, a veteran of the police department, as his acting deputy police chief.
With Arinaga announcing no interest in becoming the next chief, the commission began its search for a permanent replacement.
At the request of the police commission, the Kaua‘i County Council and the finance director approved the use of $50,000 in department funds to solicit bids from executive search service groups.
Iannucci said the county is taking a cue from the Honolulu Police Department, which used the same process when hiring Honolulu police chief Boise Correa.
Iannucci anticipates the service company will interview all potential candidates based on criteria set by the police commission and the Kaua‘i County Charter.
“The company will come back with the best five candidates for the police commission to choose from,” he said.
In measuring the suitability of the top five candidates, the commission will review written department tests, psychological examinations and resumes.
The process will allow commissioners to judge a candidate’s ability to lead the department and to work with government agencies, businesses and residents, for instance, he said.
“We will talk to them, look at the resumes and test scores and decide who is the best person for the job,” Iannucci said. “The new chief has to be a strong leader with a long-term vision for the future.”
Prior to hiring the new chief, the police commission is asking the County Attorney’s Office for an interpretation of a ruling last June in which federal court Judge David Ezra said Hawai‘i-residency requirements for government jobs were unconstitutional.
The county attorney’s office has not rendered an opinion yet.
Police commissioners requested the use of $50,000 in police department funds that were approved by the Kaua‘i County Council and finance director to solicit bids for the professional services search firm.
• Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com.
