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Big Island police
panel narrows choices
for new chief to two

Acting Chief Correa and Honolulu
Maj. Prasser are the final candidates

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By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- The Hawaii County Police Commission has narrowed its search for a new chief to acting Chief James Correa and Honolulu Maj. Robert Prasser.

After selecting the two after interviews with five candidates yesterday, the commission announced two more meetings -- in Hilo Dec. 28 and in Kona Jan. 3 -- to take public testimony on the finalists.

Commissioners hope to take a final vote at the Jan. 3 meeting, chairman Clarence Mills said.

Prasser is generally unknown on the Big island.

Reaction to Correa was mixed.

Police critic Del Pranke from east Hawaii, who rarely has good things to say about the department, said of Correa, "I get along well with him."

Before being tapped by recently retired Chief Wayne Carvalho to become Deputy Chief in 1995, Correa was a captain in the Puna District south of Hilo.

"We know and like Jimmy Correa out there in Puna," Pranke said. But he added, "He might have been tainted by dealing with Carvalho."

Carvalho retired in October under the cloud of having lost a lawsuit last year that accused him of helping favored officers to cheat on department promotions in the 1980s.

"The last person who is able to restore credibility to the Police Department is the deputy in the Carvalho/(former Mayor Stephen) Yamashiro administration," said another police critic, Jack Brunton.

If Correa is selected, it would be "a direct insult to the public and a slap in the face to the new administration (of Mayor Harry Kim)," he said.

Kim said he knows little about Correa because he has dealt mostly with Carvalho.

Kim said the new chief must have management strength and a quality he called "awareness."

"Without those, he's in trouble," Kim said.

Mills said the commission is aware of the current negative image of the department and commissioners will seek someone who can restore honor to the department.

But when Kim urged commissioners yesterday to restore the image with greater openness, they immediately went into closed session to consider his remarks.

"It's unbelievable the arrogance of these people," Brunton said. "What kind of slam is that?"

Mills said an insult to Kim "was not our purpose."

Kim said he was "a little disappointed" and would review the commission's actions closely.

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Hawaii County
police chief finalists

Two veteran law enforcement men in their mid-40s with experience in technology are finalists for the chief's post.

James Correa

Acting Big Island Chief James Correa was born in Hilo, graduated from St. Joseph's High School, attended the University of Hawaii-Hilo, and joined the department in 1975. His experience includes two years in command of the vice squad and captain of patrol in the Kau, Hamakua-North Hilo, and Puna districts. In 1994, he was promoted to acting major in charge of the Technical Services Division before becoming deputy chief in 1995. Correa is married, with two children.

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Robert Prasser

Honolulu Maj. Robert Prasser, born in New Jersey and raised in Chicago, came to Hawaii in 1972 while in the Army, holds degrees from Honolulu Community College, Chaminade University, and Central Michigan University. He commands the Information Technology Division of the Honolulu department. He was one of four finalists for Honolulu chief in 1998 when Lee Donohue was appointed to that post. Prasser is married with three children.