Police camera use draws contract concern

Kauai’s patrol officers are slated to become next week the first in the state to use body cameras, despite an objection raised by the police union.

While the union supports body cameras, leaders say their use falls under working condition provisions, which requires a supplemental agreement to the contract, said Tenari Maafala, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers president.

Police Chief Darryl Perry disagrees.

“Our position is we don’t need their approval. We meet and confer with the union and implement the program,” he said. A supplemental agreement, Perry said, is attached to a collective bargaining agreement and subject to negotiations, “which I cannot do.”

Maafala said camera use is not a “meet and confer” situation, under which police chiefs can give a courtesy notification to the union and implement policies that don’t violate contract provisions for work hours, conditions, salary or wages.

“That’s where the hang-up is right now,” he said.

The rollout of 105 Axon Flex cameras will start Monday. The total cost of the cameras is $176,718. Perry said the department will issue the cameras over the next couple of weeks, and officers will undergo refresher training on the use of the devices.

Perry sent a letter to the union Thursday to inform it of the department’s plans. He received a letter from the union last month saying it intends to file a complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board if the cameras are distributed without a supplemental agreement.

Maafala reiterated Friday that if the cameras are issued, the union will file a complaint of prohibited practices with the labor relations board to protect the contractual rights of officers.

Both the Police Department and the union say they want to work together to resolve the issue.

2 charged with drug trafficking

Hawaii County police have charged two people with drug trafficking after staking out Kona Airport.

Jessica Tsibulski, 21, of Kailua-Kona picked up Kellen Foster, 32, of Kailua-Kona and James Bruno, 28, of Oceanside in her car Tuesday after they arrived at the airport from Los Angeles.

Undercover officers pulled over the vehicle for a traffic violation and arrested all three after a K-9 unit found narcotics in the vehicle. During the arrest, police found two packets of a powdery substance on Tsibulski that tested positive for heroin.

As Foster and Bruno were taken to Kona Community Hospital to be searched Wednesday, officers said they found a brown, tarlike substance smeared on the interior of the van on the passenger side where Bruno was riding. A follow-up search turned up 50.3 grams of suspected tar heroin and 12.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine.

Prosecutors charged Tsibulski with one count each of third-degree promoting dangerous drugs and possessing drug paraphernalia. Her bail was set at $4,000, which she posted Friday.

Bruno was charged with first-degree meth trafficking, first-degree promoting dangerous drugs, tampering with physical evidence, second-degree criminal tampering and three counts of possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $332,000, and he remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance Friday.

Foster was released pending further investigation.