The Honolulu Police Department’s criminal probe of a sergeant accused of domestic abuse was in the hands of city prosecutors Tuesday, as Chief Louis Kealoha met with a group of female state and county lawmakers upset with the department’s reaction to the high-profile case.
After the hourlong meeting at police headquarters on South Beretania Street, Kealoha acknowledged that the department needs to be more transparent.
"Where you lose the trust and confidence in an organization like your police department, it is because we are not sharing enough information," he said.
The chief announced after the meeting that the department has completed its criminal investigation into the actions by Sgt. Darren Cachola on Sept. 8 at a Waipahu restaurant. It is up to city Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro’s office to decide whether to pursue charges. However, Kealoha added, HPD is still conducting an internal investigation into Cachola’s actions and into the Pearl City officers who responded to the incident but didn’t file a report.
Police officials stripped Cachola of his weapon and placed him on desk duty after seeing surveillance video of him apparently punching his girlfriend at Restaurant Kuni and Lounge in Waipahu. Responding officers did not arrest Cachola, who has a history of abuse allegations, nor did they file a report.
A spokesman for Kaneshiro said the criminal investigation is under review and that no charges have been filed.
Kealoha has said that even if the prosecutor’s office declines to charge Cachola with domestic abuse or assault, there are internal administrative penalties ranging from a written reprimand to suspension or even termination that the department could pursue.
Tuesday’s meeting with five members of the Hawaii Women’s State Legislative Caucus and two city councilwomen came after Kealoha abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting last week with 26 members of the women’s caucus and city councilwomen.
Kealoha said Thursday’s meeting was canceled for several reasons, including a planned Sept. 30 legislative hearing and the fact that he wasn’t prepared to talk to as many as 20 lawmakers who might attend.
"It was all a misunderstanding," he said Tuesday.
"It had nothing to do with slighting the legislators, especially the women’s caucus," Kealoha said. "There’s no way we would do that; we wanted to hear from them."
The chief’s conciliatory tone Tuesday was in sharp contrast to his demeanor after canceling the initial meeting. At a Thursday press conference, Kealoha vigorously defended the department, its policies and its investigation, and he lashed out at critics who he said wanted HPD to rush to judgment in the Cachola case. "Even the politicians who are jumping on the pile and criticizing HPD, I’m protecting your rights. That’s what I’m doing," he said Thursday.
But on Tuesday, Kealoha told reporters, "The meeting was very cordial and nonconfrontational."
The lawmakers also described the meeting as positive, and said they planned to meet again in a few weeks to review possible changes to the department’s reporting and accounting procedures dealing with domestic abuse and assault cases.
City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi said police and the lawmakers are ready "to move forward to restore trust in the department."
Also attending the meeting were state Sens. Rosalyn Baker, Suzanne Chun Oakland, Jill Tokuda and Laura Thielen; City Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga; and state Rep. Cynthia Thielen.
Besides Kealoha, Deputy Chiefs Dave Kajihiro and Marie McCauley, and Assistant Chief Susan Dowsett also represented HPD.
The lawmakers called for the meeting in response to the release of a surveillance video that showed Cachola allegedly beating his girlfriend in a Waipahu restaurant. But Baker said the meeting was not held to discuss the Cachola incident.
"We were looking at the overall issue," she said. "We saw the case as an opportunity to establish that dialogue and to look at all of the policies and procedures, attitudes, services out in the community … how can we make things better."
Kealoha said he told the lawmakers that the department is reviewing the ways domestic abuse cases are reported to the public and Legislature.
He also said he told them there are plans to meet with the police chiefs from the three other counties to create a uniform reporting and accounting system dealing with domestic violence.
