Last week we asked whether Mayor Kirk Caldwell would choose watchdogs or lapdogs as new police commissioners to replace former Supreme Court Justice Steven Levinson and former federal prosecutor Loretta Sheehan, who left frustrated by the panel’s weak oversight of Honolulu police.

Caldwell made strong watchdog appointments in former Attorney General Doug Chin and former Judge Michael Broderick.

Both indicated they’ll follow Levinson and Sheehan in asking tougher questions about HPD policy and operations than our seven-member Police Commission has historically been willing to do.

This commission gave former Chief Louis Kealoha glowing performance reviews and a $250,000 retirement gift as federal prosecutors exposed his corruption.

Diligent oversight is more important than ever as national debate rages about police conduct, and Chin and Broderick appear to understand the gravity of the moment.

Chin said a high level of transparency is expected of police and that he’s found recent protests around the country moving and sobering. “There is what I believe is a sea change that’s happening in our country,” he said.

Broderick doesn’t favor proposals to defund police that have gained traction in other cities, but he’d like the commission to discuss with Police Chief Susan Ballard other proposed reforms that have come out of Black Lives Matter protests.

“I would hope the commission would be able to develop some feelings and opinions around certain policy matters and stress to the chief how important it is to them that those policy matters be implemented,” he said.

A surprisingly sour note came from Ballard, who, according to Honolulu Civil Beat, reacted defensively and dismissively to the new commission nominees, saying that just because Broderick and Chin are attorneys doesn’t make them law enforcement experts.

“I would caution those who are not aware of HPD policies to become more understanding before they make statements,” she said.

It’s an unbecoming look for the chief. Chin was the state’s top law enforcer as attorney general and was a city prosecutor. Broderick is a former Family Court judge, administrator of Hawaii courts and former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s liaison to that city’s police commission.

Both have solid law enforcement credentials by any fair measure, and it’s insulting for Ballard to suggest otherwise.

Honolulu is fortunate to have a fine police department relatively free of abusive practices, led by an able chief who seems to have a good understanding of modern policing.

But from the Kealoha scandal, we saw how quickly things can go awry when strong civilian oversight is lacking, and Ballard clearly has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to accepting oversight.

If she refuses to take reasonable input and questioning from the commissioners who hire and fire her, it invites an unpleasant conversation about her continued employment, which would be most unfortunate for our city.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.