LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department on Monday presented its budget to the County Council, with concerns for vehicle replacement, overtime and a population-driven police force. The 2014 budget is estimated at $26 million — 3.4 percent more than 2013.
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department on Monday presented its budget to the County Council, with concerns for vehicle replacement, overtime and a population-driven police force.
The 2014 budget is estimated at $26 million — 3.4 percent more than 2013. Salaries and benefits comprise $14.7 million, an 8.1 percent increase.
Chief of Police Darryl Perry presented Department of Justice figures regarding a national standard of 2.3 police officers for every 1,000 people. The current Kaua‘i ratio is less than 1.88 per 1,000, he added.
“Based on the recommendations of this study, Kaua‘i has not been at the 2.3 ratio since 1993,” Perry said.
Perry advocated an incremental expansion of officers and beats to match the population growth of the island. The justification for the growth is based on the national standard, he said.
A disparate ratio results in an inability to respond effectively and the need to prioritize calls, Perry said. It would mean a delayed or no response to some types of calls that officers are responding to today.
“KPD does not want to reduce services,” Perry said.
Perry said the ratio of residents over 65 is growing to more than 50 percent of adults on the island. These people are more often victimized and the county must be prepared, he added.
The planned expansion has already resulted in moving the Waimea district office out of the fire station and into the Old Waimea Dispensary with the Easter Seals. Police are also moving into the Kapa‘a Armory as a temporary facility until funds are available to build the new Kawaihau Police Substation next to the Mahelona Hospital grounds.
The department is also planning for two new beats for the Kawaihau and Lihu‘e districts.
The police force has filled all but seven vacant officer positions this year and anticipates needing to replace five of 16 officers who will be eligible for retirement in the next two years, Perry said.
As these are mostly higher ranking officers, the retirements would be replaced through promotions and entry level officers would be recruited, according to Deputy Chief of Police Michael Contrades.
Training is another concern. With budget cuts, KPD is looking at flying people to the island to train a wider group of people, instead of sending officers off-island for individual certifications.
KPD plans to build a modular training facility, and to conduct up to 10 Active Shooter outreach programs with the Department of Education. The training prepared educators for a potential shooter scenario.
Premium overtime was an issue with the council as Perry noted that officers are required to work additional hours to make up for vacancies. The projections were difficult because a new contract has not yet been reached with the police union.
The Police Commission is facing loss of travel budgets and for outside investigators. It is based on a three-year review of expenditures, Perry said, with investigations now handled in-house by the Internal Affairs unit.
Perry said that if the Commission did require money to request an outside investigator, then the department could make funds available.
“The Commission didn’t use the funds and we didn’t feel that it required further money for investigations,” Perry said. “We are trying to get the training money back into the budget.”
Contrades presented a Patrol Services Bureau request for eight marked vehicles is the first step in replacing an aging fleet of 61 vehicles at or near replacement age or mileage. Some vehicles date back to 1999, he said.
The 2014 request is to replace vehicles around 12 years old with over 150,000 miles, Contrades said. The average life-span of a patrol vehicle is seven years by national standards, he said.
An alternative plan has civilian and investigators using a Subsidized Vehicle Pilot Program to add 15 non-patrol vehicles. The investment would offset the request for county-owned sedans.
The initial cost would be to install lights and radios. A monthly car allowance would follow for fuel and serving.
Perry noted the need for an in-house legal counsel. They have not had an attorney for KPD since the departure of Justin Kollar who was elected county prosecutor.
