Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Big Island
police panel ignores
plea for openness

The board also refuses Mayor Kim's
request to take more time
in picking the new chief

---

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Mayor Harry Kim this morning repeatedly urged the Hawaii County Police Commission to "go overboard" in favor of openness in selecting a new chief.

As soon as he finished, the commissioners went into a closed-door meeting to consider his request.

Kim commented, "When they go into executive session right after I say openness, I don't know how influential I'll be."

The commission has been preparing the selection process, including deciding what questions to ask candidates, since October when former Chief Wayne Carvalho retired.

They planned to begin interviewing five semi-finalists today, starting with Honolulu Police Major Robert Prasser, who identified himself to news media.

Acting Chief James Correa also confirmed this morning that he is a candidate. Others have not been publicly identified.

Kim began his statement to the commission saying the past year has been a difficult time for the police department, a reference to the fact that Carvalho had been under a cloud since losing a lawsuit in December 1999, that accused him of participating in cheating on promotions.

No matter who is selected as the new chief, some people will be dissatisfied, he said.

"The only thing we can feel good about is the process. If the process review calls for a slowdown, what have we lost? Absolutely nothing."

"I think the route you have chosen of not releasing certain kinds of information is not the right one," he said.

The public doesn't trust government, he said. "The only way we can override that is to be as open as possible," he said.

As soon as he finished, commissioner Dwight Manago made a motion to go into closed-door session. The move came so fast that chairman Clarence Mills had to stop him to see whether other commissioners had questions for Kim.

Manago then said he wanted the closed session to consult with the county attorney "about our duties to the community."

After about half an hour, the commission reopened the doors.

Chairman Mills said, "We believe we have complied with many of the concerns brought to us."

The commission has consulted with the Department of Civil Service, as Kim requested, he said.

However, the commission would not slow down the process, as Kim requested, he said.

Mills laid out a timetable that will include another meeting on Dec. 28, by which time the selection will be narrowed to two or more finalists.

Those finalists will be asked if they are willing to make their names public, and the public will be able to submit questions to them, he said.

"It's possible the commission may make a selection on that date," Mills said.