5 police officers' pay questioned
The officers in an FBI probe should be doing some kind of work, a councilwoman says
City Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi wants to know why five police officers under investigation are being paid without having to work for the last nine months.
The officers were placed on leave with pay pending an FBI investigation that began last spring into illegal cockfighting. While Kobayashi understands taking the officers off patrol and other law enforcement duties while the investigation is pending, she said the officers could do other, less sensitive work.
"Why can't they do some other desk job, that's what I'd like to know," she said. "The city can't afford to pay people who don't do a job which benefits the residents of the community.
"They can't just collect money."
So far, police officials estimate that the officers have been paid an estimated $250,000, including benefits, not to come to work since the investigation began in late March. However, Police Chief Boisse Correa said there is nothing he can do about it while the federal investigation is still under way.
"I made several calls last month to try and expedite the disposition of this case," Correa said. "We are disappointed. ... We thought this would be over during the early part of last year, but it's been going on and on and on.
"However, because we are privy to some of the information regarding this case, we feel it's necessary to maintain the integrity of the Police Department and wait until this investigation is over."
FBI officials declined to comment on the status of their investigation, saying only that it is still ongoing. The case involves the investigation of officers who might have accepted payoffs from illegal cockfighting operations on the North Shore.
As part of the investigation, federal agents raided the homes of the five officers and a relative of one of the officers on March 31 and April 6 last year. To date, none of the officers being investigated have been arrested or charged in this case.
The officers under investigation include a 28-year veteran of the Criminal Intelligence Unit who retired in September and has been drawing a pension since then; a 22-year veteran sergeant with the gambling detail; two members of the District 4 (Windward Oahu) Crime Reduction Unit -- a six-year and a 20-year veteran; and a 20-year veteran District 2 (Wahiawa-North Shore) patrol sergeant.
A source close to the investigation said one of the officers involved allegedly accepted a payoff from a confidential FBI informant.
Kobayashi said HPD will likely hand in its budget for the 2007 fiscal year by next month for review. Though she said the Council does not want to make cuts to the Police Department budget, she questions some of their spending habits.
"Last year, they spent so much money doing special events, about $12 million," Kobayashi said. "They have to look at their budget very closely; we can't just be throwing money around.
"To me, if you get paid you have to do a job," she said.