Improve police accountability to public
The nation’s police forces have come under intense public scrutiny in the past year or more, largely due to racial tensions that have pitted sectors of the city against law enforcement.
That divide doesn’t seem to afflict the Honolulu Police Department, whose corps of officers largely reflects the community it is assigned to protect.
However, as the series by Honolulu Star-Advertiser writer Rob Perez makes clear, there is a startling level of dubious conduct among some officers and little assurance that appropriate discipline is carried out.
At its core, the problem at HPD is one of secrecy. The department has never conducted itself with sufficient disclosure about its internal affairs, and without a healthy degree of transparency about its self-governance, the public can’t have the confidence that it needs in its police.
The Star-Advertiser’s three-part investigation tallied criminal cases, civil lawsuits and temporary restraining orders as indicators of where police may be, as the series title describes, “Crossing the Line.” Analysis of judicial records showed 335 officers accused of wrongdoing, or 16 percent of the department.
One out of six officers: That’s a ratio signaling a real problem that must be addressed, through greater openness in handling these cases, and more robust efforts at oversight by the Honolulu Police Commission.
The count includes various offenses, but complaints of domestic violence have produced some of the most outrage from citizens.
Two years ago a surveillance video of former police Sgt. Darren Cachola, no longer on the force, made news. The incident, recorded in a Waipahu restaurant where Cachola and his girlfriend appeared to be fighting, became part of a domestic abuse investigation. But initially, and most notably, Cachola was not arrested by responding officers.
Such indications that police officers are treated with kid gloves should be the source of public protest.
More recently, Police Chief Louis Kealoha promoted a major with a domestic-violence history to assistant chief; the uproar forced that decision to be reversed.
Both cases became public spectacles, and subject to debate and review. It’s the cases that never come to light that should demand a change.
The department countered that the tally of lawsuits does not mirror actual malfeasance, as police are prey to such accusations.
Civil suits comprised 241 cases in all, the largest portion of the total by far, and certainly there are many among them in which the allegations against police were not borne out.
But even this helps to make the larger point: The public should know something about disciplinary actions as they happen, to a far greater extent than it does now. The lack of disclosure can lead the community to assume the worst, and that doesn’t help to convey any sense that HPD has the matter in hand.
In their own defense, officials have asserted that there are penalties, and charges of domestic abuse are taken seriously. If so, they ought to be willing to accept reforms aimed at fairer treatment of those who bring complaints about police misconduct.
In particular, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, the union representative of the force, needs to stand down instead of obstructing these needed reforms when they come before the state Legislature and other bodies.
Here are course-correcting steps that should be taken:
>> A proposed amendment to the Honolulu City Charter, giving the police commission greater leeway in disciplining the police chief, should have the support of Honolulu voters.
And going beyond the scope of that change, the commission should be much more aggressively monitoring the conduct of the police force.
>> Lawmakers should revive a proposal to make the process of police disciplinary review far more transparent, which should improve accountability of the police to the residents they serve.
>> HPD also should support another measure aimed at making it easier for abuse complaints to be filed against officers.
Complainants should not face an obstacle course of requirements to start the inquiry process, particularly when it comes to domestic violence.
Certainly Honolulu’s police department deserves credit for performing its duties overwhelmingly without the estrangement witnessed in the violent uprisings in other cities. But it can and must do much better at policing itself, starting with a change in its culture of concealment.
In an era of social media, a much more sharply aware public has the right to expect the highest standards from police.
11 responses to “Improve police accountability to public”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Agree SA: HPD must be more accountable. Most states and communities have already been through this effort. Honolulu may be the last place where cowboy officers can do what they please and get away with it.
Next time your life is in extremis and you need emergency life saving help urgently, call the editor of this newspaper and see how much good it does.
Instead of bad mouthing those who put everything they have on the line to provide you as much safety as possible, maybe it is time to take the pacifier out of your mouth, grow up, and quit acting like a monumentally ungrateful spoiled brat.
Touche thos. Well said…lol.
Yes, they need to be upfront whenever possible. They need disciplinary policy that is consistent, They need to protect the Officers from false accusations and innuendos. They need to charge the false accusers with a crime. And, they need to get together and maintain a standard of good character and honesty!
Before accepting this tripe at face value, the reader who values truth over propaganda would do well to pick up a recent book by Heather Mac Donald, “THE WAR ON COPS”.
Led by the current occupant of the White House, the Democrat Party is waging a non stop propaganda warfare campaign on cops to destroy law and order – – which is why inner city, black on black homicide rates in city after city are going through the roof.
Here too, is fertile ground for a Trump outreach to Americans of African Ancestry whose children are being slaughtered by policies of the Democrat Party.
Said it before, will say it again: On an island that is overall safe and secure (due mainly to strong cultural influences – respect for “elders” and don’t bring shame on your family, etc.) it appears, based on these reports, that we the citizens actually have more to fear from the police (nowadays) than petty criminals, and the such.
That said, however, the cultural influence mentioned above is eroding slowly and with more and more influx of outsiders (permanent self relocations, reparations relocations by the Feds or temporary military re-assignments) that didn’t grow up with the “local ways” and “aloha spirit” and trying to make Hawaii into THEIR way, there will be pushback.
Unfortunately, HPD is caught in the middle with the unenviable job of maintaining order. With the “old school” mentality of “do as I say, not as I do”, protect your “brothers” regardless of cost, “I’ll thump you on da head if you no understand”, and a machismo that must stem from whatever feelings of either inadequacy or left over testosterone from high school days, HPD must (in order to save itself) finally join this century!
Whether or not there is adequate talent locally to steer HPD in the correct direction, is up for conjecture. It might be time to bring in an outsider like a William Bratton figure since anyone going up through the ranks locally will be beholden to so many factions and politics it’ll make your head spin.
I believe local boys and girls as line cops is still best but without proper and inspirational leadership, these cops will eventually go rogue or look at their jobs as merely that with a jaded opinion of THOSE THAT THEY SERVE.
Totally agree with you, “Shopoholic.” There’s something about wearing the police officer’s uniform that seems to cause the testosterone to surge. (in the female police officers as well!) It will take a very special, “culturally sensitive,” & experienced person – or team of persons – to inspire and lead HPD officers towards becoming a quality, community-serving, community-protecting organization. An understanding, non-abrasive “outsider” could bring HPD a fresh perspective; a new outlook; innovative ideas! Perhaps we may someday be able to have confidence in our police force once again.
Agree with you except one point. Most people are not afraid of the cops. I was one and know how far to push before going over the line. Their behavior is predictable because they have to work in the box. Criminals that have been incarcerated also know, they push until they are sent to jail, now they know the line. It is human nature to push the barrier. In prison and we all know this, two kinds of people, givers and takers. When the takers come out, they take whatever they want….from us. I have had a beer or two with some of these takers(once was) but have toned down because they are old now. The game is still played this way, more so because they don’t fear anybody anymore and add chemicals to the mix, they feel like king Kong. The police uniform made average people feel like King Kong too.
Interesting insight, pohaku96744. Thanks for sharing.
I know most people aren’t afraid of the cops, per say, but way too many people I know have had at least one negative experience NOT stemming from any kind of illegal action. More like the officer was just “looking to find fault” at something. That’s basically “bullying”, put any other way.
Agree that the police uniform makes some officers look down on others. Maybe they got picked on in school or throughout their life before putting on the badge.
It’s unfortunate that there are always people who want to politicize every problem; whether placing all the blame on Democrats, Republicans, or whichever Political Party/Parties they detest.
Any Union will protect & support its dues-paying members; so OF COURSE! SHOPO will continue to shield police officers; even those accused of wrongdoing. If “needed reforms” are not economically or police-image-wise advantageous to their fellow “boys in blue,” then only natural for SHOPO to obstruct attempts at any reform which doesn’t favor the police force. Lawmakers keep their jobs from union members’ votes too.
There are many online news accounts of the brave or kind actions of stellar police officers who genuinely care about & help the people in their cities (U.S. Mainland & other countries). Likewise; Hawaii’s news media, including the SA, should also shine the light on “good” Hawaii police officers too. There MUST be some out there… And hearing positive news about our police force would reassure us that it’s not totally, self-servingly, corrupt & inept after all. (As long as these stellar Hawaii police officers now in the news wouldn’t then suffer backlash by jealous fellow officers!)