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Big Isle police
commission nixes
Carvalho probe

The Hawaii County Police
Commission says it will not
look into the chief's role in
the promotion scandal

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

WAIMEA, Hawaii -- The Hawaii County Police Commission has voted against investigating Chief Wayne Carvalho's role in a promotion cheating scandal.

"We open a huge can of worms," said Commissioner Phoebe Lambeth, before the commission voted to reverse an earlier decision to look into the matter.

In December, Carvalho lost a lawsuit regarding the alleged cheating from 1984 to 1994 and must pay damages of $625,000. He has appealed the case.

In the trial, Carvalho, then deputy chief, admitted passing the names of people Chief Guy Paul wanted promoted to a promotion board, but said the entire process was advisory, with Paul retaining final control.

This year officer Tanny Cazimero asked the commission to remove Carvalho, at least temporarily, for allegedly violating an order that prohibits bringing "disrepute" on the department.

Former commissioners Clarence Souza and Don Abdul argued yesterday that the police union, SHOPO, should deal with Cazimero's complaint.

SHOPO officials said they didn't want it. "We're asking you to do your job and not push it off onto SHOPO," said Hawaii Island SHOPO chairman Emory Springer.

SHOPO attorney Michael Green, who won the lawsuit against Carvalho, told the commissioners they should retain the case because they are the only agency that can remove the chief.

Souza praised Carvalho. "We brought in Carvalho (in 1994) to clean up the department," he said. "This department has the best record in the state."

County attorney Ted Hong said there have been no allegations of wrongdoing since Carvalho became chief. All the allegations deal with periods when Guy Paul and later Victor Vierra were chief.

Hong noted the opinion of U.S. District Judge David Ezra that Carvalho, rather than being a wrongdoer, may have been the victim of Paul's wrongdoing.