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Big Isle police
put surveillance on
man who criticized
police chief

The surveillance of Jack
Brunton came 3 days after he
accused Chief Wayne
Carvalho of favoritism

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By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

WAIMEA, Hawaii -- The Hawaii County Police Department conducted a surveillance of a Kona man after he criticized Chief Wayne Carvalho in connection with a departmental promotions cheating scandal.

Carvalho confirmed that police are investigating Jack Brunton, a former University of Idaho police chief who criticized Carvalho to the county Police Commission.

The commission voted yesterday not to investigate complaints by Brunton against Carvalho and an unnamed Criminal Intelligence Unit officer. Brunton said surveillance of him violates a state law against harassment and violates several internal Police Department orders.

County attorney Ted Hong told commissioners that the surveillance of Brunton's home, including videotaping from the street, is legal, and police don't require a specific cause to do it.

During the commission meeting at the Waimea Civic Center, Brunton snapped photos of the commissioners. Commissioner Phoebe Lambeth objected, saying Brunton didn't have permission to take her picture.

Brunton answered that the surveillance officer didn't have Brunton's permission, either.

Brunton's criticism of Carvalho and the department's surveillance of him are outgrowths of a lawsuit by 19 current and former police officers who accused Carvalho and others of helping favored officers to cheat on promotions.

The accusations cover 1985-89 when Carvalho was deputy chief and 1989-94 when he was not in the department.

In December, a jury returned a verdict against Carvalho. He plans to appeal, but the state Supreme Court ruled recently that there can be no appeal yet because trial Judge Riki May Amano hasn't signed a judgment.

Brunton has been telling the Police Commission since May that Carvalho should be removed from office.

On Aug. 14, Brunton saw a man in a white van watching him and videotaping his house, he said in complaints to the commission.

Brunton placed copies of his complaints on the Internet at http://www.turquoise.net/~gonzo/pccomplaints.html

Brunton investigated and learned that the van is used by three members of the Kona Criminal Intelligence Unit.

The surveillance came three days after Brunton delivered a letter to the mayor and County Council chairman on Aug. 11 complaining of illegal actions by the commission.

The letter said if the actions weren't remedied, Brunton would "initiate legal proceedings."

Carvalho defended the surveillance, saying Brunton had threatened to sue. Although filing a suit is legal, Brunton may be involved in other illegal actions, Carvalho said.