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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Police get to weigh in on chief

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Chief Boisse P. Correa

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For the second time in five years, the police officer's union has surveyed its members about whether they approve of Chief Boisse P. Correa's leadership and if the rank and file want him to return as the city's top cop when his contract expires in August.

The results of the survey will be delivered to Correa today during the Honolulu Police Commission's meeting at 2:15 p.m. at the department's Alapa'i Street headquarters.

The HPD administration, the Honolulu Police Commission and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers all would not comment ahead of today's meeting.

Correa was hired on a five-year contract in August 2004 and has said he wants to remain in office for another five-year term.

Under his direction, crime in Honolulu has steadily fallen to the lowest point in the past 34 years, and the department has received international accreditation and has fully staffed all patrol districts.

SHOPO has said that it wants Correa out when his contract is up, and last fall held a public rally for members in which union leadership blasted the administration.

The last time SHOPO commissioned a survey in December 2005, 76.1 percent of respondents agreed that Correa "never or almost never communicates accurately or precisely with them," 73.7 percent stated Correa "never or almost never works well with line officers toward common goals," and 78 percent said morale was so low they wished they had a different police chief.

The 2005 survey was returned by 1,068 of the O'ahu chapter's 1,877 members.

The union and Correa's administration have been at odds over a number of issues, from Correa's management style and what the union deems an unfair system for disciplining officers, to a change in officers' work hours.

Questions on the latest survey are the same ones used in 2005. They include whether the chief is fair, whether he supports line officers and whether he promotes teamwork.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.