LIHU‘E — With roughly 30 days left in his current contract, Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry said Wednesday that he wants to continue serving the county. “Yeah, I want to stay,” he said, adding that he has made that intention
LIHU‘E — With roughly 30 days left in his current contract, Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry said Wednesday that he wants to continue serving the county.
“Yeah, I want to stay,” he said, adding that he has made that intention known to members of the Police Commission, who under the county charter are responsible for hiring and firing a police chief.
Unlike in 2007 when commissioners offered Perry an open-ended contract and he opted for a three-year deal instead, he said he would accept an open-ended agreement if one is offered this time around.
Such a deal could be offered as soon as today. The commission’s morning meeting agenda includes items regarding Perry’s evaluation, 2009-10 goals, identification of stakeholders to evaluate the chief’s performance, and his employment agreement.
The commission meets at 9 a.m. in the Lihu‘e Civic Center Mo‘ikeha Building first-floor meeting room.
In open session is an agenda item regarding discussion and deliberation on the year-end performance evaluation of Perry, in terms of the process and methodology of that evaluation, and Perry’s 2009-2010 goals.
In executive session are agenda items including discussion and deliberation on his employment agreement, and stakeholders to evaluate Perry’s performance.
Perry’s last annual evaluation from the commission was sterling. The veteran law enforcement officer said Wednesday that there is much unfinished business he would like to accomplish before retiring.
If the commission decided they did not want to renew his contract, he would also feel comfortable bidding aloha ‘oe to KPD on Sept. 30, he said during an exclusive interview at his office.
“I think it’s good to have new people come in with new ideas,” Perry said.
Between his time as a uniformed officer of KPD and the Honolulu Police Department and time teaching others about law enforcement, this year marks 40 years of service for Perry, age 60. He was with HPD for 28 years.
On a list of roughly 10 KPD officers eligible for retirement this year, Perry is at the top. But he doesn’t want to retire yet, he said.
He would like to see new Waimea and Kapa‘a substations and installation of the next-generation, computer-aided dispatch system first, Perry said. He also wants to continue to lead KPD down the road to accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, something every other county police department in the state has accomplished, he said.
With a new round of KPD promotions, a new lieutenant will be assigned to the accreditation process, something that Deputy County Attorney Justin Kollar, assigned to KPD, has been assisting with, Perry said.
Getting computers in police vehicles and filling the 16 current vacancies are also top priorities, he said.
“The thing that has been the most difficult is staffing,” said Perry, adding that getting qualified applicants is difficult. “That’s my only disappointment right now.”
Kaua‘i County Council Chair Kaipo Asing told Perry that in all Asing’s years on the council KPD has never been at full staffing; Perry said he lost a lunch bet with Asing that the chief would accomplish that goal.
Perry said he hasn’t asked the administration or council for funding for new positions because he hasn’t been able to fill existing vacancies. More new officers will also mean a need for more civilian support staff, he said.
If seasoned officers eligible for retirement — some have already given notice of intent to retire, one as soon as Oct. 1 — opt for retirement, that will mean even more vacancies, he said.
• Paul C. Curtis, assistant editor and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
