West Hawaii residents and police officers took to the mic Tuesday to offer their recommendations and critiques on the four finalists for Hawaii Island’s top cop.
Of the 10 testifiers before the Hawaii County Police Commission in Kailua-Kona, four gave endorsement to Hawaii Police Department Maj. Sherry Bird, the only finalist on the county’s police force. Three provided positive recommendation for Edward Ignacio, a retired FBI agent and Big Island resident. One spoke in favor of Capt. Paul Applegate of the Kauai Police Department.
No endorsement was given to the fourth candidate, Maj. Benjamin Moszkowicz, of the Honolulu Police Department.
Two of testifiers on Tuesday were current Hawaii Police Department officers who each provided input critical of the department. Only one offered an endorsement for a candidate.
“I am not here today to speak openly in support or against any candidate,” said Officer Justin Gaspar, a 13-year veteran of the department. “I’m here to speak directly to the candidates about the concerns and requests from the rank and file.”
Gaspar said he was warned that he would be committing “career suicide” by speaking openly and candidly.
“I would take that risk because this is something I believe in,” he said.
He said fairness, officer retention, scheduling problems, and a lack of transparency in the promotion process are among the issues the department faces. In addition, he said, there is a lack of “standardized operations” between east and west, also known as Area I and Area II.
“The reason we are losing qualified applicants is because of mismanagement that has been happening for decades on the top. There is absolutely no recall training given to us,” Gaspar said, noting he knows officers who’ve been on the force for over a quarter century without receiving recall training. “A lot of the techniques that they were trained have been done away with by this department, and now they are being held liable for techniques they use, but have never had the opportunity to be retrained.
“We want change,” he continued.
Chad Taniyama, a sergeant in the department’s VICE section, was also critical of the department’s administration.
“If I didn’t come forward, I would have regretted it knowing that I let down my brothers and sisters,” said the 25-year veteran, who noted that if he were to be retaliated against for making his statements on Tuesday, he could retire.
“Our upper management has been availed to the future. We talk about retention, we talk about training. It’s nonexistent,” he said. “The people who have the power and influence to make change have not. In 2018, we paid the ulitmate price. Yet there was no change.”
Taniyama specificially noted Bird’s track record doesn’t show cooperation within the department or with outside agencies. He added that, as a ranking officer, she has had the chance to make change, but has not.
Taniyama then endorsed Ignacio as the only candidate that would give the department a “fresh start.”
Following public testimony, the police commission questioned the candidates on an array of topics from a lack of management experience to questions of ethics and retaliation.
Ignacio was the one questioned about his lack of management experience running a large staff, such as the Hawaii Police Department, which has over 480 sworn officers.
The former FBI agent responded that he did have the experience, having managed over 300 personnel when he was the acting special agent-in-charge for the FBI’s security branch in Honolulu. Nonetheless, he said he would surround himself with people who are “like-minded” and would “fill the gaps” in the experience he may not have.
Commissioner Dylan Andrion said the police commission has received letters and emails regarding fear of retribution or retaliation for their views either for or against a candidate. He specifically asked the candidates what they would do to alleviate those concerns.
Applegate said no one should fear retaliation for expressing their views. As chief, Applegate said retaliation would not be tolerated and would be dealt with in accordance with policies. He noted the Hawaii Police Department would benefit from different views.
Ignacio said the officers that came out and testified — even though they feared retaliation — were the type of people you want to know.
Moszkowicz, of the Honolulu Police Department, said it took a lot of courage for the officers to testify and their fears of retaliation were totally unacceptable. The best way to deal with those problems is to bring them out into the open and address them directly, he said.
Bird said she wouldn’t promote an atmosphere of retaliation. As a leader you have to take the negative comments along with the positive, said Bird.
“I want to take those comments as a learning tool in how I can do better in my position,” she said.
In regard to recall training, all candidates agreed such a training program should be implemented immediately.
Police Commission Vice Chairman Thomas Brown said he has also heard training for existing officers is pretty much nonexistent.
“I hope that whoever is selected as chief will take some steps to improve the training for current officers,” he said.
Thomas is overseeing the selection effort after Chairman John Berstch recused himself from the process due to Ignacio being a close personal friend.
“I have no participation or influence in the selection process at all since I publicly recused myself first thing Monday. I have great faith in the sitting 8 members of the commission to select the best candidate and thank Vice Chair Brown for his leadership,” Bertsch said via text Tuesday evening.
The Hawaii County police chief receives $153,270 annually, about $9,300 less than the highest paid county official, the mayor at $162,582. The chief is tasked with overseeing 484 sworn personnel, in addition to civilian employees, that serve the island’s more than 200,000 residents.
According to Civil Beat, Maui’s police chief makes $205,000 while Honolulu’s chief earns $205,800 and Kauai’s chief earns $137,022.
The deputy chief will be selected by the future chief appointed by the commission.
The regular monthly Hawaii County Police Commission meeting is 9 a.m. Friday in Hilo, with “further consideration of the top candidates for police chief” on the agenda.
As the commission continues its search for a permanent police chief, Acting Chief Kenneth Bugado is running the department. Bugado was deputy chief for Paul Ferreira, who retired Sept. 1.
