Police chief receives second term

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Honolulu Police Commission will announce today its appointment of Police Chief Lee Donohue to a second five-year term.

Lee Donohue may join the few who served 10 years as police chief. Advertiser library photo • May 1, 2001

"I'm just humbled and at the same time honored that the commission would even consider offering another five-year term," Donohue said. "I'm happy we've been able to work together — the police department, the police commission and the community."

The reappointment means Donohue, 59, will continue to hold the $99,960 job and command the city's largest law enforcement agency and its 2,500 sworn and civilian personnel through 2008.

"It's a vote of confidence," said Commission Chairman Leonard Leong. "We felt that he met all the criteria. I think he has the public's confidence in his office. I think his biggest point is leadership. From my feel of the men and women in the department, the majority would be in support of his reappointment."

Leong said there wasn't much opposition to the reconfirmation.

"I think all the commissioners felt that he did a positive job and did a good job," he said.

The other six commissioners are Cha Thompson, Theo Butuyan, Alan Ho, Darolyn Lendio, Ronald Taketa and Dwight Yoshimura.

In Donohue's latest, 2001 evaluation, the commission praised the chief for handling the security issues that followed the Sept. 11 attacks and for the reduction of citizen complaints. The commission also said he supervised "firm and fair disciplinary actions" against several police officers, furthered improvements to the police radio system and 911 capabilities and helped establish the Career Center.

In 1999, during Donohue's tenure, serious crime dropped to a record low. But his reappointment comes as the department is involved in two ongoing, high-profile court cases.

One is an alleged food scam involving high-ranking officers. The other is a federal lawsuit by Det. Kenneth Kamakana that charges corruption in the elite Criminal Intelligence Unit and names Donohue as one of the defendants.

Leong said the commission deemed those two cases isolated.

"I think the food scam, it was beyond his knowledge," Leong said. As for the Kamakana suit, "under the American system (Donohue is) still innocent until proven guilty. We're giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"These were just isolated incidents that could happen on anybody's watch," Leong said. "I think from each incident he probably learned more, and we all learned something and we can move forward."

Donohue declined to comment on the details of the two cases, but noted, "If you look back at every scandal that we've had in my tenure here, we've addressed it and we have not covered anything up. Most of this all occurred before my watch. And even the food scam, if you go back, it happened in 1995. I think I was still an assistant chief when all of that started.

"Does it hurt us? Yeah it hurts. But we've shown that — and I think this has been demonstrated to the commission time and time again — that we face the issue and we address it and we take the right actions. And wherever the cards fall, they fall."

Leong said Donohue had wanted to serve another term and that his health was good. Donohue collapsed from an irregular heart rhythm on Sept. 18, 1999, at the HPD Training Academy in Wai-pahu. He has since recovered and routinely walks and lifts weights.

He joined the force in 1964 and was sworn in as the eighth police chief on April 20, 1998. Only William A. Gabrielson, Daniel S.C. Liu and Francis Keala have served as police chiefs 14 years or more. Gabrielson and Keala served 14 years, and Liu served 20.

Donohue said the average tenure of a police chief in a major city is 2 1/2 years.

"It is a tough job," he said. "The public is much more demanding. The issues facing us are much more complex. The employees want more. And the big national issue is recruiting and retaining qualified people."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at 535-8110 or bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.