Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I was in the drive-through line at the Jack in the Box in Kaneohe, about a block away from the police station, at lunch time one day. In front of me, a police officer got his food and instead of paying, just signed a piece of paper. Are police officers allowed to accept free food or is there some sort of agreement between the station and the restaurant? HPD policy bars officers
from accepting free foodAnswer: Apparently the practice of establishments offering officers free food is not uncommon, but it's not supposed to be accepted.
In Hawaii, all Jack in The Box restaurants offer on-duty police officers a meal of a free sandwich, fries and a drink, said Brian Luscomb, a spokesman for the company's corporate office in San Diego.
Asked if it's a national policy, Luscomb said it depends on the community. "We don't have it systemwide, but in certain communities, sometimes it's a free meal and sometimes it's discounts."
He found it "surprising that someone would take offense," noting, "When you consider the risks related to the law enforcement profession, the rewards can be pretty minimal. We just want to show police that this organization appreciates what they do, and this offer is one of the ways we say thanks."
However, the Honolulu Police Department does not condone the acceptance of such offers.
"The department recognizes that some establishments have a practice of offering free food to on-duty officers," said spokeswoman Michelle Yu. "HPD policy, however, prohibits employees from accepting gratuities, and we will be reminding officers about this policy."
Since you did not have the license number or other details, HPD could not follow up with the officer you saw. In the future, if you think the policy is being violated, Yu said to call HPD's Internal Affairs Division at 529-3286 with details.
Q: Where can I report a traffic violation involving an official state car? The driver made an illegal left turn Ewa on Kapiolani Boulevard from Ala Moana Center's Keeaumoku Street down-ramp about 11:35 a.m. Jan. 16. There are large signs stating "no turns." The driver also blocked cars entering Ala Moana Center from Keeaumoku while he waited for pedestrians in the crosswalk, before zooming in the Ewa direction. This was a state car with the official state seal and the driver should know better.
A: In the future, report such complaints to the state Department of Accounting and General Services' Automotive Management Division (call 586-0343 or fax 586-0354).
Provide a confidential return phone number if they want a response, as well as the license number and date, time, location and description of the traffic violation.
Division Chief Harold Sonomura said the driver will be contacted, based on the license number you provided.
"We will prepare a complaint form and forward it to the appropriate department/agency responsible for the vehicle to provide a response to the complaint," he said.
Occasionally, drivers will deny the allegations.
In those cases, "Unless we have witnesses or other evidence, we are unable to prove otherwise, and we can only record the complaint in the driver's record," Sonomura said. "However, if we receive additional complaints on the same driver, we can take appropriate action."
Meanwhile, the state is requiring drivers of state vehicles to be responsible for the new photo-enforcement speed citations, he said.
Mahalo
To Charley Wilson of Mililani Mortuary. He really helped my family during a terrible time. Our experience showed again how individual people do make a difference. Mahalo to him and the other people at Mililani Mortuary. -- Ed L.
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com