LIHU‘E — The issue of addressing the 24 current vacancies and replacing more retirees in the next two years took precedence at the Kaua‘i Police Commission meeting Friday. County Council Chair Jay Furfaro encouraged more imaginative recruiting efforts, from assisting
LIHU‘E — The issue of addressing the 24 current vacancies and replacing more retirees in the next two years took precedence at the Kaua‘i Police Commission meeting Friday.
County Council Chair Jay Furfaro encouraged more imaginative recruiting efforts, from assisting new officers with home down payments, or other incentives, in exchange for long-term service.
“You have $41,000 in the budget for recruitment and that is three-times short of what it should be,” Furfaro said.
Lonnie Sykos of Kapa‘a wanted to address the commission on several topics and included his experience on Maui, where county-owned police quarters made lives easier on young officers or when required to work a beat far from home.
The housing works even when not needed by officers, Sykos said. He recalled that three open homes were rented out to schoolteachers and a physician, which in turn helped retain those needed services.
Commissioner Charles Iona, a retired police officer who also worked on other islands, said police departments often force officers to rotate whether they want to or not. Police housing is essential for officers that maintain a permanent residence on one island while working on another, he said.
“I would entertain a police housing budget if it’s set up right,” Iona said. “Especially for single policemen and policewomen, or when they have dual residency on another island.”
Kaua‘i has a transportation and relocation issue that makes it difficult to compete against incentives of Honolulu and other urban areas, Iona said. He supported programs that address the cost of living and relocation in exchange for five-year officer agreements.
Furfaro said police recruitment and department stabilization is an ongoing battle. He wanted to see more in the strategic plan to attract and retain police officers.
“The Citizens Police Academy is an outstanding first step,” he said.
2012–13 Operating Budget
Furfaro provided an overview and effect of the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2012–13. He said it is an ongoing process to deliver to the various commissions and provide an opportunity for questions and input.
The County Council has financial oversight of the budget process, he said. Once the funds are provided, the charter lets the administration manage funds.
When the council gives Capitol Improvements Projects money, for a police facility and a drug treatment facility, that money is given and the charter lets the administration manage that money.
The same is true of the budget, he said. The administration has the authority to transfer funds that were earmarked, but he said the departments also have the authority to transfer money as they forecast moving forward.
Be careful that this picture is clear, he said. There is a 12-month budget overview, but another month (13) is for the finance department to reconcile encumbered moneys. He said to expect a quarterly summary going forward.
“If you look right now, it appears the police department is $2.3 million under budget,” Furfaro said. “But it is really not under budget because you have $900,000 worth of moneys encumbered that need to be reconciled in period 13, and that will indicate that you have approximately $1.4 million that you did not spend that the council allowed you to have in your operating budget.”
The council cut overtime on its own staff by 15 percent, and all other departments by seven percent. Police and Fire departments faced a 3.5 percent cut. This does not include funds for 24 vacant positions contained in the current budget, Furfaro said.
“That is what you are using to pay overtime because of the recruitment shortage,” Furfaro said.
Furfaro said his resolution introduced in December 2011 for a reserve policy would be used in immediate response issues, such as weather emergencies. He said state and federal reimbursements leaves an average of a 25 percent shortfall and makes the reserve essential.
“Strategic plans for your department are very important,” he said.
As a reserve that becomes substantial in the future, Furfaro said they can then look at expanding CIP improvements or addressing tax rates.
Officer and Employee of the Month
The Police Officer of the Month for June is Sergeant Mark Ozaki.
Sgt. Dan Fort read the award and said Ozaki was nominated by a subordinate who was inspired by his commitment and dedication to the Sea Scouts program. The officer reportedly helped to acquire three vessels for the program and its 40 scouts since 2009, including the two highest-ranking scouts in the state, he said.
Ozaki also plays a mentorship role in other youth programs in addition to his full-time police work, Fort added.
The Employee of the Month for August is Senior Clerk Jay Watanabe.
Sgt. Scott Williamson read the award that noted Watanabe’s community connections and working with contractors. He is recognized for meticulous accountability with documents and filing, which allows officers to work efficiently and effectively at three substations of the South and Westside precincts.
Police-community relations
Continuing his input to the commission, Sykos asked the commission to comment on what he saw as a widening rift in police-community relations. He asked the commission to identify the five most important threats and opportunities facing the overall community and police, and then to do the same for any specific neighborhood on the island.
“How do we align the actions and planning of the Kaua‘i Police Department to actually solve the problems of the neighborhoods?” he asked.
Encouraged by the recent Public Safety Town Hall meetings with police, County Council and the Prosecuting Attorney, Sykos said the community dialogues brought out concerns about burglaries, firearms, speeding and traffic. He said the challenge is about how to work on solutions that don’t leave people feeling there is more government intrusion into their lives.
As a former Maui resident, Sykos said he recalled a time when rural police officers were beloved members of the community. He said now they rotate on through and it has left the public feeling hostile toward police — the people who serve and protect them.
“This is an opportunity for the police and commission to look for different ways to engage with the public on issues the public brings to you,” he said. “How do the meetings translate into a safer community?”
Chief of Police Darryl Perry said internal and external factors are considered with such planning. He said police are concerned about crimes against property and person, with drugs most often the nexus of crime in general.
“Traffic enforcement is a critical area,” Perry said. “We were averaging eight fatalities a year, including DUI’s.”
Getting more officers on the road is where budget comes in, and the 20-year plan is to add new beats, he said.
The recruiting goal has made progress with a streamlined process that will get quality cadets sooner in time to replace retiring officers.
He also said the outreach programs aid in police recruiting, crime prevention and in community relations.
“Youth programs are crime prevention programs,” Perry said.
The programs teach how the criminal justice system works, he said. Police are part and that with the judiciary and corrections.
“The missing component is the community input, and they need to get involved with what’s going on,” he said. “That led to the Citizens Police Academy to show how crime relates to all the systems.”
Vice-chair James O’Connor and Commissioner Bradley Chiba were selected to attend the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement conference this October in San Diego.
The workshops cover basic and intermediate skills necessary for effective department oversight, federal pattern and practice litigation, values based policing, developing policy recommendations, constitutional policing and investigating force in custody.
“It is worthwhile sending two people because there are multiple sessions and one person can’t cover them all,” said Commission Chairman Ernest Kanekoa Jr., who will serve as an alternate to attend.
• Tom LaVenture, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@thegardenisland.com.
