CONTENDERS: The acting chief, a deputy
and two majors are named
will be named by April 13By Rod Ohira
Star-BulletinHonolulu's eighth police chief will bring decades of local experience to the department.
The Honolulu Police Commission today named these four police veterans as finalists for the chief's position:
Acting Chief Lee Donohue, Deputy Chief William Clark and two majors: Robert Prasser, commander of the Research & Development Division, and John Kerr, who heads the Specialized Services Division.
"We're very pleased with the assessment process, which was very thorough, and the four who emerged as finalists," said Ron Taketa, Police Commission chairman.
The commission will interview the finalists next week and plans to name a successor to Michael Nakamura, who retired as chief last December, by April 13.
Donohue, 55, and Clark, 53, have been with the Honolulu Police Department for 33-1/2 and 32 years, respectively. Prasser, 45, has 23 years' experience with HPD, while Kerr, 49, has been with the department for 20 years.
Prior to being named acting chief, Donohue served as the senior deputy chief in charge of the central and regional patrol districts. He is a graduate of McKinley High and Chaminade University. Since Jan. 1, Donohue has had to deal with two high-profile fatal shooting incidents involving officers at Mayor Wright Housing and Palolo Valley Housing.
Clark, a New Jersey native and Chaminade University graduate, currently commands the administrative, support services, investigative and special field services operations bureaus.
In 1993, Clark was named city Manager of the Year for pioneering efforts in community policing. He also initiated the department's alternative call servicing and citizens police academy programs.
Prasser, a Milwaukee native who was raised in Chicago, came to Hawaii in the 1970s while serving with the Army's 25th Infantry Division.
He has degrees from Honolulu Community College and Chaminade University, and a master's in public administration from Central Michigan.
Prasser commanded the Communications Division prior to his current assignment.
The eldest of Prasser's three children -- 23-year-old Kit Zhu Lo Lan, whose real name is Momi Prasser -- was crowned the 49th Narcissus queen in January.
Kerr, a native of Michigan, earned college degrees at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, he is currently Hawaii chapter president of the FBI National Academy Associates.
The Specialized Services Division is his first assignment as a major.
The new chief is expected to have at least one vacancy to fill with the pending retirement of Acting Deputy Chief Keith Pocock.
