LIHU‘E — A threat against a sitting member of the Kaua‘i County Council prompted a set of new security measures at the Historic County Building.
The measures were put in place during a special emergency meeting of the group on Thursday, Jan. 18, at the behest of County Council Chair Mel Rapozo.
The threat was made against Councilman Bill DeCosta, who found what was described as a letter, poster or piece of paper left for him on Tuesday, Jan. 16. The context of the threat was not disclosed.
But Rapozo deemed the threat serious, and then took action to protect members of the County Council, as well as staff who work in the building and the general public who frequent the site.
“I consider this a credible threat because of what was on it,” said Rapozo at the meeting held inside the Historic County Building in Council Chambers.
He said the Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD) is investigating the matter. State and federal agencies are also involved in the case. KPD officers were present at the building on Thursday.
“I take this very seriously because it is a breach of security,” Rapozo said.
He went on to add that while he believes in government transparency — pointing to his move to reopen the Historic County Building after becoming County Council Chair — that he was not comfortable in an open building. The building had been closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic prior to being reopened.
“I don’t know who this person is, I don’t know how he got in, and it scares me that someone can come in and make that threat,” he said.
Rapozo said when he was made aware of the threat, he directed the county clerk to lock up the building.
The security measures range from sign-up sheets for people coming into the building to the hiring of full-time security from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day.
He also said no unauthorized people would be allowed in secure areas, and that all meetings would be done in conference rooms.
“Some may think I’m overreacting, and maybe I am. But you know what, we hear about this all the time,” Rapozo said. “We don’t know what’s on the minds of these people that are not happy or could be suffering from mental illness, and I’m not going to take that chance.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com. Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
