Posted on: Thursday, February 26, 2004
EDITORIAL
HPD is partly right on 'highway patrol'
We're pleased to find so much to agree with in a letter by Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue, which appeared in Tuesday's Advertiser ("Duplication not needed: HPD opposes highway patrol").
Hawai'i is fortunate, Donohue writes, that the counties handle most enforcement responsibilities, thus preventing duplication of services and overlapping jurisdictions. For that reason, he says, "the HPD is opposed to several legislative proposals as they are currently written," including:
• A Senate bill to create a state transportation police force to patrol highways, harbors and airports.
One compelling reason for renewed discussion about a state "highway patrol" is public perception that the HPD is failing to curtail an epidemic of sometimes deadly car racing on our freeways.
What's particularly frustrating is the HPD's uneven response. District 7 police, responding to public outrage following the death of Holy Trinity School teacher Elizabeth Kekoa in a 2001 crash blamed on a driver allegedly racing at over 100 mph, have effectively bottled up racing and speeding in East Honolulu. But in other problem areas such as Pearl City, police apparently lack the manpower and the money to mount similar initiatives.
It may turn out that commanders of other districts have different problems and different priorities. The City Council should hold hearings into why racing is being effectively curtailed in one end of town, but not the other.
If for some reason the HPD really can't patrol all of the city's freeways effectively, a highway patrol might be an option, although Donohue is correct in pointing out that a parallel police force would be exorbitantly expensive.
• A police officers' "bill of rights," giving police officers new statutory protections during misconduct investigations.
Donohue says officers already have "fair and adequate protections" in their collective bargaining agreement. We'd agree, but go even further, urging the repeal of an unenlightened existing law that keeps discipline of officers — unlike other public employees — confidential by statute.
• Senate and House bills that would create a state and county public safety training academy — at the site of the HPD's existing facility.
"Our academy facilities," Donohue points out, "are barely sufficient to handle our HPD training needs, let alone the training of law-enforcement officers statewide."
Indeed, the HPD has received some heat in the recent past over its inability to rectify manpower shortages as quickly as some critics have demanded.
• Bills empowering county police chiefs to issue licenses to carry concealed weapons.
That's all the Aloha State needs — its citizens packing concealed weapons.
"The potential danger and harm" from letting citizens carry weapons, writes Donohue, "would far outweigh any benefits."
We couldn't agree more.
