The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA ®) will arrive on Hawaiʻi Island on July 13 to examine the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s policies and procedures, administration, operations and support services.
The purpose is to verify that the Hawaiʻi Police Department continues to meet the 400-plus National Standards established for a law enforcement agency that are required for the department to maintain voluntary accreditation.
Part of this review will include a public comment session at 5 p.m. on July 14 at the Hawaiʻi County Council chambers at 25 Aupuni Street in Hilo. The session will be hosted by the visiting assessment team, which is seeking the community’s input as to whether accreditation should be maintained.
Chief Kubojiri encourages public comments. “As I’ve always maintained, this is not my police department, this is your police department,” Kubojiri said. “The process of being accredited ensures the public that their police department follows and maintains nationally recognized standards established for a law enforcement agency.”
Individuals who cannot attend the public information session are encouraged to phone in their comments to (808) 961-2270 on July 14 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Written comments may be sent to CALEA®, 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 22030-2215 or through the CALEA® website at www.calea.org.
The comments are limited to the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
A link to the list of the CALEA® Standards the assessors will be reviewing to determine if the Hawaiʻi Police Department is in compliance is available on the “Accreditation” page of the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s website at www.hawaiipolice.com. A full copy of the Standards may be viewed at the Police Department’s main station at 349 Kapiʻolani Street in Hilo. These National Standards, as they relate to the practices employed by the Hawaiʻi Police Department, are what the assessors are seeking the public’s input on during public testimony.
Of the roughly 23,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, the Hawaii Police Department is one of only about 1,200 that have been awarded CALEA Accreditation. The department was initially awarded accreditation on November 17, 2012.
For more information, you may call Lieutenant Kenneth Quiocho at 961-2260.
Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, Hawaii, Legal | Tagged: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA ®) | Leave a comment »
Commentary – Poor Job Handling TMT Protestors
Governor Ige’s administration, and to a lesser extent, the County of Hawaii, are doing a poor job handling the ongoing Thirty Meter Telescope protests on Mauna Kea. The governor’s proposed changes to the stewardship of Mauna Kea offended both the protesters and the individuals who’ve helped preserve this sensitive area.
The governor’s stewardship changes also offended the individuals who’ve helped preserve Mauna Kea. It was like a slap to the face when the governor stated the University of Hawaii and Department of Land and Natural Resources have been poor stewards of Mauna Kea. There were issues with the stewardship of Mauna Kea in the past. However, there has been immeasurable improvements over the past 15 years. The execution of the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan in 2010 was one of the highlights of these recent improvements.
Governor Ige’s administration also dropped the ball as far as dealing with these ongoing Thirty Meter Telescope protests. His administration has allowed these protesters to illegally encamp at Hale Pohaku for the past three months and obstruct access to the summit area. Yes, these protesters have a constitutionally protected right to protest, but they shouldn’t break the law in the process.
The elephant the room is the ongoing Hawaii sovereignty debate. The latter has Trojan horsed itself into the current debate over the Thirty Meter Telescope. The State and County of Hawaii are playing softball with these groups as a result. For example, the Hawaii County prosecutor is considering dropping criminal trespass charges against the first wave of 21 protesters in lieu of initiating ho’oponopono with these individuals. This will entail holding discussions with the governor, the University of Hawaii, Thirty Meter Telescope, DLNR, etc.
The Thirty Meter Telescope has undergone a seven year public vetting process. These individuals had ample opportunity express their concerns about this project during this time. In short, this is simply another stalling tactic that is being employed by the opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
As it stands now, the Thirty Meter Telescope has the legal right to initiate construction until the appellate courts say otherwise. I hope Governor Ige gets a backbone and stops pandering to the interests of these protesters.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
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Filed under: Big Island, Guest Commentator, State Affairs, TMT | Tagged: Aaron Stene, Thirty Meter Telescope, TMT | Leave a comment »