Posted on: Thursday, October 28, 2004

Commissioner apologizes

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Kaua'i Police Commission member Leon Gonsalves Sr. yesterday apologized for remarks he made in an e-mail that referred to new Police Chief K.C. Lum as "Hop Sing."

Gonsalves, a retired police officer who once worked with Lum, said the e-mail was meant to be private and was not intended to be hurtful to either Lum or Deputy Chief Ron Venneman, whom the commissioner called "Little Joe" in the e-mail. Although the e-mail was sent by Gonsalves to a single individual, it was widely distributed within the police department.

"It was a private communication. It wasn't intended to hurt anyone, and I apologize if it offended anyone," he said.

Little Joe and Hop Sing were characters in the long-running television series "Bonanza." Hop Sing, a pigtailed Chinese cook, is considered a negative racial stereotype.

Mayor Bryan Baptiste called the remarks "inappropriate" but stopped short of saying he would ask Gonsalves to resign from the commission. "A course of action will be determined once I am able to speak with all appropriate parties," Baptiste said.

Gonsalves is Baptiste's sole appointee to the five-member panel.

Lum said yesterday his relationship with the commissioner is "strained." Lum was named chief of police in September, after serving for several months as acting chief. He said the name-calling makes his job of managing the department more difficult.

"We've got things that we need to do. I don't need interferences like this," Lum said.

Two Kaua'i Police Commission members of Chinese ancestry said there is no doubt the term "Hop Sing" is an ethnic slur.

"We were called that throughout college. It is very derogatory," said vice chairman Michael Ching. "It's so shocking that people make those comments."

Fellow police commission member Stanton Pa agreed.

"I feel for the chief, but I really feel for his family, his wife and kids," Pa said.

Venneman could not be contacted yesterday. Lum said he advised police department staff to refrain from commenting on the situation.

County public information officer Cyndi Mae Ozaki said the mayor's office has been receiving calls about the remarks and there appears to be significant public interest in the issue, but she would not characterize the content of the calls.

In addition to referring to the names, Gonsalves' note said he was pleased not to have been able to attend the swearing-in of the new chief and deputy, because "I might throw up."

Gonsalves acknowledged yesterday that he was the only member of the commission to vote against Lum's appointment. "I had my reasons for not voting for him," he said. "I didn't think he was the best candidate."

Gonsalves said it is a common practice in Hawai'i to use nicknames, and that he was not offended when friends referred to him as "Angus" because of his dark, curly hair.

He said that when he worked with Lum as a detective, he sometimes called him "Ali'i," the Hawaiian word for chief, because Lum's first name is King. The chief's full name is King Chi Lum, although he is universally referred to as K.C. Gonsalves said he used the term "Little Joe" for Venneman because the deputy chief reminds him of actor Michael Landon, who played the part.

He said he discussed the situation with Baptiste, but at the mayor's request, has not called Lum or Venneman to apologize personally.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.