Maui police chief
receives 24% pay hikeThe increase makes Chief
Thomas Phillips' salary higher
than the county mayor's
WAILUKU >> Maui police Chief Thomas Phillips has become the highest-paid county employee on the Valley Isle at $103,000 annually.
His pay is higher than that of Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, who earns $96,000 a year.
The Maui County Salary Commission raised Phillips' pay by 24 percent from $83,000 and made the salary retroactive to September.
Deputy Chief Kekuhaupio Akana received the same retroactive decision and an even higher pay jump: 30 percent to $99,000 from $76,000.
Salary commission Chairman Scott Matsuura said commissioners supported the raise last month mainly because there were some union employees in the Police Department earning more than the police chief and his deputy.
Matsuura said if there was a vacancy, the county would have had difficulty finding a new police chief given the previous pay schedule because a high-level employee in the department would have to take a pay cut to become police chief.
Matsuura said the commission is planning to review other salaries, including the mayor's, once a new collective-bargaining agreement is finished between the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the state and counties. The commission also sets pay for the heads of county departments.
The salary commission's decision, made last month, follows a recommendation by the Maui County Police Commission to bring the salaries in line with other police chiefs' in the state.
Arakawa has supported the pay raises for the deputy and police chief.
Police Commission Chairman Wayne Hedani said the Big Island police chief was earning $91,000.
Hedani said at the same time, the Maui County chief was in charge of a county that had a larger population of residents and visitors than Kauai and Hawaii counties combined.
"We're serving more people and covering four islands," Hedani said. "We're way behind the power curve concerning compensation."
Hedani said assistant police chiefs on Maui, covered by collective-bargaining agreements, receive about $90,000 annually after adjustments, including automobile expenses.
He said the assistant police chiefs have had the higher salary because they have been receiving pay adjustments annually through the union contract, while there have not been yearly adjustments for the Maui police chief and his deputy.
Hedani said on the mainland, counties with similar populations pay police chiefs about $150,000 annually.
He said Phillips has scored high on the police commission's evaluations of his performance since he was appointed chief in 1998.
"We're quite pleased with his performance," Hedani said.
Phillips and the Police Department have been criticized by some residents for the fatal shootings of Lisa Kaina, who led law enforcement officers on a stolen-car chase Jan. 23, and Charles Benson Ogden, who attacked a police officer with pepper spray in Kihei on Feb. 29.
Hedani said commissioners have had discussions about the two incidents and supported the Police Department.
"We felt it was justified in all the cases," Hedani said.
Hedani said he has found that people who criticize police actions often are not aware of the training officers undergo each year and that Phillips has led the department to achieve high marks in national accreditation.