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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 10:47 a.m., Tuesday, May 13, 2003

HPD sends state a bill for search OT

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Honolulu Police Department has billed the state $258,934 for expenses incurred from the recent search for three Halawa prison escapees.

Police Chief Lee Donohue today said the bill was justified the billing for what he called an "extraordinary activity." He said the April 4 escape of Albert Batalona, Warren Elicker and David Scribner from the high-security Halawa facility was preventable. The three escapees were captured April 10.

"The state is trying to save money by leaving (prison) gates unguarded," Donohue said. "That puts a strain on our manpower and we are strapped for money. (The escape) was preventable."

Major Susan Ballard of HPD's Finance Division said the breakdown for services includes $192,448 for 5,831.75 overtime hours; $7,986 for fringe benefits such as worker compensation, and $58,500 for use of the police helicopter for 117 hours at $500 an hour.

Ballard said the city receives no subsidies from the state and cannot afford overtime costs for an operation like a six-day search. The department, however, did not bill the state for expenses incurred in the escape of two women from the O'ahu Community Correctional Center, said Ballard.

While the search for Batalona, Elicker and Scribner was going on, HPD was also paying about $100,000 a week in overtime for homeland defense.

Gov. Linda Lingle was unavailable for comment this morning. However, her spokesman, Russell Pang, said the governor plans to meet with Donohue to review the expenses.