KAILUA-KONA — A Hawaii Island senator is championing a bill that would allot money to fund a second lieutenant for the Kona unit of the Department of Public Safety’s Sheriff Division.
If approved, Senate Bill 3079 would establish funding for a full-time permanent lieutenant position in Kona. The funding would cover the initial six-month hiring period and the one-time costs for the purchase of position-related uniforms and equipment.
The funding requested from the Legislature is $46,319 for the fiscal year 2018-19 for the hiring of the full-time permanent position.
The position would be funded with the intention that the Department of Public Safety would include and request with the department’s base budget for following years at a rate equivalent to the base salary for the position as determined by the department.
On Friday, Sen. Lorraine Inouye, D-Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa and Kona, said this bill is her priority.
“We definitely need the coverage,” she said.
In Inouye’s bill, it states the sheriff’s division is responsible for the Kona courthouse as well as two separate locations in the area for drug and family courts. The division is also responsible for courthouses in Waimea and Hilo.
“This vast geographical area of control makes it difficult for the sheriff division to effectively and efficiently supervise line deputies and provide necessary services,” the bill reads. “Currently, there is only a single lieutenant in the division whose responsibility is to supervise these courts.”
Inouye hopes the legislation will address some of the other concerns she’s been made aware of by her constituents.
“I question the leadership of the sheriff’s division on our island,” Inouye said.
The sheriff’s division on the Big Island hasn’t been functioning at full capacity for more than two years. Due to an internal review of the eviction process, Hawaii Island deputies are not allowed to serve eviction notices.
If deputies are requested for an eviction, they are flown in from Maui.
If Oahu, Maui and Kauai have full services in their sheriff’s divisions, Inouye said, Hawaii Island should as well.
“I say, we’re not going to be the stepchild anymore,” the senator said as one of the reasons for drafting her bill.
While the legislation is financially driven, Inouye is hopeful that it will get passed.
The state Judiciary supports the bill.
“The Judiciary generally supports any measure which will increase the safety and security of our facilities for court users and staff,” said Jan Kagehiro, spokeswoman for the judiciary. “We appreciate the work of the Sheriff’s Division and would be inclined to support a bill which advances those goals.”
The bill is currently before the Ways and Means committee. Inouye said the committee chair has to hear the bill before March 1.
Inouye said the committee chair could decide to send the bill to the House or hold it in committee and continue to work on it when the state budget comes to the committee.
Inouye said she has the backing of DPS. While she has that support, the department declined to make an official statement regarding the bill at this time.
“We will submit testimony once a hearing is scheduled but, until that time, we reserve comment on the Department’s position,” stated Toni Schwartz, spokeswoman for Hawaii Department of Public Safety, on Friday.
DPS currently has 17 positions in the Sheriff Division Kona Section and 20 positions in the Hilo Section. Schwartz said all of the department’s civil service positions are a set number, decided on by the Legislature, and paid for by money appropriated by the Legislature.