Police system needs reforming

Thank you for the investigative series “Broken oath” (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21-23). I concluded the following:

>> Dismiss and replace the current president of the State Of Hawaii Organization Of Police Officers.

Not responding to multiple request for comments from the Star-Advertiser for this series about the Honolulu Police Department is not transparent nor does it show accountability by the SHOPO president.

>> Dismiss and replace the chief of police.

Alleged misconduct by the chief should disqualify him from deciding other police misconduct cases.

>> Replace the Honolulu Police Commission, except for the newly appointed commissioner.

New commissioners should have backgrounds in dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, mental illness and homelessness.

>> Allow for more transparency.

If we settle for the status quo, we will continue to be on case reviews of political science professors across the country. How embarrassing.

Nancy Manali-Leonardo

Waikiki

Police on Oahu do a great job

Your series on the Honolulu Police Department smacks of “yellow press,” i.e., sensationalism to sell newspapers (“Broken oath,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21-23).

I have been a Hawaii resident for 24 years on the North Shore of Oahu and have had many occasions to work with HPD officers to prevent crime and make our neighborhood safer.

They have my utmost respect and praise for the job they do, with little or none of the recognition that they do not seek but truly deserve.

Why don’t you write a series on their great contribution to our society?

Lt. Col. Ken Zitz

U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)

Waialua

Driverless cabs better than rail

Honolulu’s rail transit project already is obsolete. The best solution is a computerized, driverless taxicab system, such as the one being tested in Singapore by the nuTonomy company or the one Uber will be testing soon in Pittsburgh.

A similar for-profit system in Honolulu would present no burden and no risk to the already abused Oahu taxpayer. It would also be far superior, by any metric you care to choose, to any government-run rail system.

Of course, if the criteria is merely to out-perform rail transit, then this is, indeed, an exceedingly low bar to set.

According to Wayne Yoshioka, former head of the city’s transportation services department, “Traffic congestion will be worse in the future with rail than what it is today without rail.”

Doing nothing is far better than doing rail.

Do whatever it takes to end this mega-disaster in the making.

Taxpayer revolt, anyone?

Jim Berry

Kaneohe

DOE must work to keep teachers

My mother just retired from Pearl City High School after 45 years of being an educator at various schools (“DOE teachers don’t get paid enough,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 22).

I can remember her spending countless hours working on days off and even during the summers.

I also remember a few discussions with my father about spending her own money on various things for the school.

Don’t get me wrong: She loved teaching and was probably the most spirited, giving and dedicated teacher who loved her work despite the pay.

If the state Department of Education wants quality teachers like my mother, it needs to step up its game or risk losing them.

Xavier Ishihara Jr.

Pearl City

Parties no longer ‘left’ and ‘right’

This election year, we have finally devolved from a party on the left and a party on the right to the parties of the wrong.

Donald Trump has shown repeatedly that he has neither the temperment nor the mental stability to be president of the United States.

Besides a minor footnote named Gary Johnson, what is my choice — Hillary Clinton?

I’m thinking more and more that if the GOP had come up with a more palatable candidate, they would now control the House, Senate and the White House.

Either Trump is a very smart but lazy guy who only wants the mantle of Mr. President without the baggage that comes with it, or he’s just crazy. I believe it’s a little of both.

The more I hear of Clinton and her shenanigans, the less I like and trust her.

Royle Kaneshige

Waialua