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Gathering Place
Alexander Garcia |
Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue, center, attended a ceremony April 21 for awards to police officers and civilians. Afterward, he announced his retirement.
Donohue’s successor
will be well qualifiedI would like to comment on the "Gathering Place" written by Sgt. David Hernandez regarding the selection of the next Honolulu police chief (Star-Bulletin, June 15).
First of all, the unofficial list of candidates consists of exceptionally well-qualified administrators who have earned their positions through hard work, experience and rigorous testing. It is unfortunate that the vast experience, numerous commendations, high level of education, vision and level of dedication to service of these individuals seem to be beyond Sgt. Hernandez's level of comprehension and appreciation.
During the past 15 years I have had the opportunity to work with each and every one of the 18 current applicants for chief of police. While we have had occasional differences regarding employer-employee relations (in my capacity as a union official and subordinate), they have each and every one acted not only professionally, but also in the best interest of the community and the Police Department. While we may have traveled different paths, our goals have always been the same: the professionalism of the Police Department and providing the best possible service to the community.
It is most unfortunate that Hernandez has allowed his vision to be blurred by his own shortcomings and has not been able to see that Honolulu is rated as one of the safest cities in the nation (2003 FBI Crime Index) as a result of the hard work and dedication performed by officers under the direction of HPD administrators.
The community as a whole and the officers of the Honolulu Police Department should take great pride in knowing that the caliber of each of the applicants for chief of police equates to an absolute win for Honolulu residents and visitors, regardless of which one is finally selected to replace our exceptional leader, Chief Lee Donohue.
Our entire community and each of our rank-and-file officers owe a debt of gratitude to Chief Donohue and the administrators of our police department for the their endless commitment to excellence and public service.
Alexander Garcia, a Honolulu Police Department detective, is chairman of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, Hawaii chapter.
