LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department has a morale problem, a new survey shows.
The assessment — conducted from Aug. 11 to 26 this year by the State of Hawai‘i Organization of Police Officers — featured responses from more than 80% of the Kaua‘i Police Department union membership, a total of 113 officers.
Citing poor communication between leadership and rank and file, lack of adequate training and heavy caseloads, respondents gave employee morale an average rating of 3.58 out of 10.
This low morale contributes to difficulty retaining officers, with 27% of respondents saying they were considering leaving the department within two years, and 58% of those respondents referencing low morale as a primary reason for their leaving.
“This confirms what we believe about our membership,” said SHOPO Kaua‘i Chapter Chair Kennison Nagahisa on the survey. “We’re hoping that this will open people’s eyes, stakeholders as well as the chief.”
Officers also said conditions at the department made it difficult to perform their jobs adequately.
Among patrol officers, more than half (54%) said staffing was not
adequate to provide a swift 911 response.
In the Investigative Services Bureau, 62% of respondents said their current caseload does not allow them enough time to fully investigate crimes, while 69% said their caseload does not allow them to keep the public as safe as possible.
Larger trends
The potential exodus of KPD officers mirrors statewide and national trends.
A SHOPO survey of Maui police officers also found a high percentage of officers considering leaving the department.
“Similar issues in both places,” said Dustin DeRollo, who conducted both the KPD and Maui surveys. “What we see here is a little bit more intense.”
Nationwide, there has been a jump in retirements and resignations, with a 2021 Police Executive Forum Survey finding a 44% increase in retirements and an 18% increase in resignations.
“KPD can’t control that on its own,” said DeRollo of the trends. “But they can change the way people are treated on the job, the training people are given, communication.”
KPD Chief Todd Raybuck discussed the external pressures facing police departments nationwide in a video message responding to the survey.
“The social fallout and national narrative in response to criminal acts committed by officers, calls to defund the police, the COVID pandemic, and other internal and external pressures the law enforcement profession is facing has made retention and recruiting more challenging,” said Raybuck.
Raybuck highlighted some positive trends during his tenure in KPD, including increased hiring, increased patrol staffing, and a low vacancy rate as compared to previous years.
“Change is difficult, and effective change takes time. The responsibility to make positive change in this department falls on me, my executive staff, the union leadership, and every member of this department,” said Raybuck. “I am confident if we work together toward the same goal, we will continue the progress already made toward improving our police department and the services we provide the community.”
Two surveys, different results
The results stand in contrast to those found in a 2021 survey of KPD staff released this month by the Police Commission, which did not show morale problems to the same extent.
But the Police Commission assessment featured a messy rollout, a low response rate, and did not give officers a chance to evaluate the chief.
The new survey does feature a section evaluating Chief Raybuck, which showed him struggling to gain approval from the rank and file.
A majority of those surveyed said they feel a series of attributes related to transparency, accountability and leadership describe the chief either “not very well” or “not well at all.”
Raybuck scored lowest on the question related to fairness and transparency in dealing with disputes, where only 11% viewed the chief favorably compared to 56% who viewed him unfavorably.
Since arriving in 2019 after serving in the Las Vegas Police Department, Raybuck has been in frequent conflict with SHOPO.
Most recently, the union clashed with the chief over the handling of a situation in which the deputy chief accidentally brought a loaded firearm through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Lihu‘e Airport.
SHOPO President Bobby Cavaco filed a complaint against Raybuck for the incident, alleging the chief provided preferential treatment to the deputy chief, who served with Raybuck in the LVPD and is a personal friend of the chief’s. Deputy Chief Stan Olsen resigned in August, citing personal reasons.
Raybuck also received a five-day suspension in April 2021 for a November 2019 incident in which he told command staff a story about an Asian customer in a fast-food restaurant, bowing his head, squinting his eyes and using a Japanese accent. SHOPO called for the chief’s resignation after the incident came to light.
Union officials said they hope the survey will improve dialogue between the union and the administration.
“We’ve reached out our hand. It’s there,” said officer Robert Thompson. “Now is that hand going be accepted is still to be seen.”
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
