CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Honolulu police Chief Lee Donohue, center, announced his retirement yesterday after a commendation ceremony at the main police station on Beretania Street. Donohue will leave July 1 after 40 years on the force.
Controversy kept
Honolulu’s
top cop busyHe led the department to national
accreditation while dealing with
a host of internal scandals
Honolulu police Chief Lee Donohue said when he was sworn in seven years ago, someone told him that one day, he would wake up and know when it was time to move on.
As it turns out, that time will be July 1, the anniversary of Donohue's 40th year on the force.
"I just got up one day and said they're right," said Donohue during an interview yesterday. "You will know when the time comes."
Honolulu Police Commission officials expect to take about four months to find Donohue's replacement. After Donohue retires in July, an interim police chief will be selected to run the department until the selection process is completed in September.
Donohue, 61, who collapsed in 1999 from a heart complication as he demonstrated martial arts to recruits, said that while his health was a concern, it was not a deciding factor for his retirement.
He also said he feels good about leaving the department in good hands and in a good position.
"We have leaders that can step up to take the helm," he said, "and we are on top of our game."
Donohue pointed to some of the HPD's accomplishments under his watch, including national accreditation for the department and recruiting more Honolulu police officers.
During the early years of Donohue's tenure, the department saw a large exodus of local officers who left for better-paying jobs in the Northwest.
"At one point there were 400 vacancies," he said. "I just signed another guy out last week." He said that the department has 250 vacancies now but also 220 recruits in training.
Mayor Jeremy Harris issued a news release yesterday saying that Donohue "has provided excellent leadership for our police department. He has brought crime way down on Oahu and made our city one of the safest of its size in the nation.
"He leaves the Honolulu Police Department well prepared to respond to any homeland security issues. Not only do they have the best equipment and technology, they are the best-trained officers in the nation."
Donohue has had to deal with several controversies during his seven years as Honolulu's top cop, some of which he inherited from the prior administration. They include the conviction of five officers for beating a prisoner in police cellblock in 1995, two retired police officers admitting accepting thousands of dollars in overtime for work at HPD's airport detail, and civilian employees in the department's vehicle maintenance section admitting to purchasing auto parts from a vendor at inflated prices for kickbacks.
Perhaps the biggest embarrassment was when an assistant chief and a major pleaded no contest to theft charges for serving expensive cuts of meats to officers purchased with money meant for prisoner meals.
"This job is not for the faint of heart," he said. "There's always stresses. ... It's a matter of how you deal with it."
The chief made his announcement during a meeting with his commanders yesterday morning and told his immediate staff the night before. It was not long before word spread among the rank and file about his upcoming retirement.
"He was a good guy, a good chief," said Detective James Vasconcellos Jr., who is retiring next year. "I had hoped he stayed until I retired.
"I knew him from the beginning of my career in Wahiawa, and he was in Pearl City as a footman. He was always mentioned as a good policeman."
Lt. Britt Nishijo said things started finally moving forward when Donohue became chief. "All of a sudden, we got accreditation, new technology, new scheduling," he said.
Sgt. John Chinen Jr. said, "The '3-12' work schedule, that's an important thing he got," referring to the three 12-hour-day work schedule.
"That really brought up the morale of the department, along with getting us accreditation."
Capt. John Lum, of the Criminal Investigation Unit, said Donohue was his sergeant when he started in patrol in the '70s.
"I don't think he's changed," Lum said. "He's more articulate, he's gotten wiser, but basic character hasn't changed. He has this integrity about him -- strong-willed, very confident."
Donohue also had his share of criticism. In 2001, Oahu police union Chairman Alex Garcia called for Donohue's resignation after the food scandal. Garcia cited the fact that the chief failed to immediately relieve two high-ranking officers of their duties after being accused of spending money allocated for prisoner meals on food for police officers, including top HPD brass.
Donohue admitted to eating some of the meals but said he did not know how they were paid for. Garcia accused Donohue of applying a double standard for the commanders and said he should have known where the money was coming from.
Despite their differences, Garcia said yesterday: "I've enjoyed working with him. We've had mutual respect for each other. We've agreed to disagree.
"It's never been personal," he said. "We're trying to work in the best interest of the department. I think our goals are the same."
Garcia discounted talk of favoritism shown by Donohue in his appointments.
"You always deal with those you know best, so there may have been a hint of favoritism," he said, "but overall he's been a good chief.
Subordinates may differ on how to do certain things. He always tried to be fair, and we respect that."
Discussion of Donohue's retirement had been anticipated.
"We knew it was coming, we just didn't know when," Garcia said.
Donohue said his plans after retirement include running his martial arts dojos -- American Karate-Kai -- in Aina Haina and Kapolei. Donohue started both schools and is a seventh-degree black belt in Shorin Ryu-style karate.
Other than that, he said he is not sure what he will be doing besides taking care of his family and himself.
"When I was 10, I wanted to be a police officer," he said. "I'm glad to have lived the dream."
On donohue's watch
Lee Donohue became police chief on April 20, 1998. Here is a look at some of the events under his leadership:>> The Honolulu Police Department gained national accreditation last July by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Honolulu is one of only 14 major city police departments to be accredited.
>> More police officers were recruited. When Donohue became chief there were about 400 vacancies, due in part to many officers transferring to law enforcement positions in the mainland. Donohue said yesterday that although there are still 250 vacancies, there are also 220 recruits in training.
>> The implementation of the three-day, 12-hour work schedule for patrol officers.
>> Establishment of Weed and Seed programs in downtown Honolulu, Kalihi and Waipahu.
>> Civilian employees in the department's vehicle maintenance section admitted purchasing auto parts from a vendor at inflated prices in exchange for kickbacks in 2001 and 2002.
>> In January, supervising Lt. Bill Kato and four other officers from the Career Criminal Unit who were part of a botched operation were disciplined for not following department procedure in a shooting that led to the death of Officer Glen Gaspar in March 2003.
>> Detective Ken Kamakana named Donohue in a whistle-blower lawsuit alleging serious misconduct in the department's criminal intelligence unit. The city agreed to pay Kamakana $650,000 late last year to settle the suit without admitting wrongdoing.
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Picking HPD chief
to cost $50,000
The selection of a new Honolulu police chief is estimated to take about four months and cost up to $50,000, according to Honolulu Police Commission officials.
Commission Chairman Ronald Taketa said part of that cost is for an outside consultant to filter through potential candidates and ensure a fair selection process. Taketa said the same process was used to select Donohue in 1998 from 19 potential candidates.
"A lot of corporations spend three to four times as much on an executive search," Taketa said. "It's money well spent."
Applicants are required to have five years of experience in law enforcement, along with three or more years as a commander, which usually means the rank of captain or higher. After HPD's Human Resources Department weeds out unqualified applications, those left will undergo a written exam that will be graded by the consultant.
Those who pass the written phase will go on to be interviewed by four members of a community assessment team and then undergo a psychological exam. At that point the consultant will take the final four candidates and present them to the commission for interviews. The new chief will be selected from these final four.
"The commission will not get involved with screening," Taketa said. "The applicants need to be assured of a fair process."
Taketa said out-of-state applicants will be considered, though none applied when Donohue got the job in 1998. In 1990, when police Chief Michael Nakamura was hired, nine out-of-state applicants were among 41 total.
Taketa said he hopes to begin the selection process by next month and have a new chief in place by September. However, because Donohue is scheduled to step down in July, an interim police chief will be needed to run the department. The interim chief is likely to be selected from one of two deputy chiefs, either Glen Kajiyama or Paul Putzulu.
