Editor’s Note: This commentary is in response to a Community Voice by former state Sen. Will Espero, “Sen Espero To Gov Ige: ‘Huge Mistake’ To Veto Police Board.”

Dear Governor Ige,

As I gaze at the pictures on the wall in the lobby area outside of the Chief’s Office, I see Kauai Community members and media personalities who attended our Citizens’ Police Academy and Media Orientation program. The purpose of which was to give these volunteers an insight on our training programs and the challenges law enforcement officers face in this new era of policing.

The attendees were composed of males and females of all ages, private sector business people, clerks, retirees, attorneys, clergy and the like. At the end of the sessions there was one common theme: They had no idea as to the complexities and effort that goes into our recruitment and training programs; but after the training, they had a better understanding of the difficulty and challenges of what it takes to be a law enforcement officer.

With respect to House Bill 2071, testimony by all four police chiefs to the legislators explained that our current training programs exceeded the certified standards board requirements in — “recruitment, education, training, and supervision” — because every county department in the State of Hawaii is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), therefore the implementation of a Standards Board would not only be counterproductive but inefficient as well.

Nick Grube/Civil Beat

However, I strongly agree with everyone that there is no place for corruption in Law Enforcement; it tarnishes all of the good work that thousands of police officers do day after day, month after month, year after year, career after career.

But, the causes of corruption and misconduct, in my opinion, has absolutely nothing to do with our current recruitment and training efforts. As you know, what it boils down to, are the individual decisions and choices that he or she makes to do wrong. This is true in all professions, from doctors, politicians, clergy, teachers, entertainment celebrities, attorneys and the like. Example after example is splashed on the television screen everyday.

Police misconduct regarding violations of their oath of office and tarnishing the public trust must be addressed swiftly and when necessary sanctions must be imposed without delay. But, as all chiefs know, that in itself, can be a daunting endeavor because of the complexities of today’s rules and regulations, equal protection rights, collective bargaining agreements, confidentiality clauses, federal and state statutes, and the list goes on and on.

The point I am trying to make, is that HB 2071 does nothing to address these issues but instead offers a smoke screen to the real problems plaguing police misconduct, but it’s not only police officers, it’s also a multitude of many other professions that have experienced: disintegrating integrity, lack of respect for one another, and the downward trend of professionalism. Please be assured that as chiefs, we are well aware of these issues and are making every effort to correct them.

Perhaps in the future legislative emphasis could be placed toward enhancing transparency and open government, to include the examination of records pertaining to police misconduct and disciplinary sanctions. Darkness must not be allowed to extinguish the flames of truth.

Although Mr. Will Espero — who has good intentions — stated: “If you are listening to the police or law enforcement officers, you are listening to the wrong people,” I respectfully disagree with his opinion. Contrary to what he stated, we, the chiefs of police for the counties are the very ones you should be listening to.

Once again, Governor Ige, thank you, because you are doing the right thing in vetoing this ineffective and misplaced bill, and I urge all legislators not to override his veto.

And finally, with respect to our community members, particularly our legislators, if you are really truly sincere in enhancing your knowledge in the recruitment and training aspects facing your local police department, perhaps one day soon, your picture too will be on the wall for others to see — knowing that you made a commitment and took up the challenge to attend the Citizen’s Police Academy.

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