Who's the top cop? - Hawaii News

The Honolulu Police Commission could select a new police chief Wednesday. "Hopefully, when we reconvene on Wednesday we should be able to have a better idea of where we are," said commission Chairwoman Christine Camp yesterday after a public hearing on the six remaining candidates to become Honolulu's next top cop.

[The Real McCoy]

This is not a popularity contest. This is a contrived contest.

[Von]

I would vote for Christine Camp anytime.

[Randy from Canada]

...sounds like Hawaii needs another 'Steve McGARRET' right now! Heck, even a 'Danno' would do!

[Honorably Discharged]

It is sad that such an important decision was and still is tainted by politics. The community deserves better.

[Honolulu Resident]

The Police Commission Chairwoman should resign for pulling a shenanigan like that, and ALL candidates should be considered -- not just the four recommended by the sub-panel and the two favored by the Chairwoman. It is important that the new chief of police be appointed without any stigma of political manipulation by the Chairwoman or whomever appointed her to that job. In the future, more care should be taken in selecting members of the police commission too, not just the chief of police. It was not long ago that we had a couple of police commissioners who thought the appointment meant they could carry badges and guns and park wherever they chose to leave their cars. It was like "move over Steve McGarret and Danno, we're entertainers too, and we're taking over."

[Stumpy]

I would like to see candidates given a polygraph, and the results made public. Questions like, "Have you ever taken a bribe, have you let people go because of who they are, are you a silent partner with a criminal," have you framed anyone, etc. Nothing personal, just questions that would keep corrupt people from applying.

[golden goose]

Here's an idea - why couldn't everyone call in to their local police department and vote for the one individual that they feel warrants the position of Police Chief. That way it takes the vote back to the people. No more Christine, no more Mufi, no more political b89076t, just your vote. Miss Christine is meeting with the candidates Monday and Tuesday,so you could start the phone calls at 12.01am Monday and I bet you by the end of the day your winner would be known!! By Tuesday Miss Christine will have be bombarded with the publics "people's choice" phone calls for our new Police Chief, her hands will be tied. Sounds fair!
1

[Haas Picker]

"If there truly was a favored candidate, the commission could have just hired that person," she said. "We didn't do that." Christine Camp.

A Long time ago, while working on a graduate degree, a professor once told me that the best place to hide is in the open, the best way to manipulate a shareholder to support your stance is to tell them that what they fear really has not occurred ...(yet). They need not dwell on what will occur!

[Dr Frank Kardasz]

I listened to the representative from the officers association speak at the public hearing. He mentioned that mainland candidates might have a short tenure because chiefs from the mainland move around a lot looking for "greener pastures". That statement made me chuckle because believe me - for those of us on the mainland - there is no "greener pasture" than Hawaii. I suspect that if a mainland candidate is chosen that person will hang in there as long as he or she can. Chiefs on the mainland move around a lot partly because the politics of the job eats them up and spits them out in an average of three years..
I also appreciate the suspicion that locals would have for any mainland candidate. As they say, "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know."
I dont know any of the local candidates personally - they are probably all good people.
I worked with Commander Harry Markley early in his Phoenix Police career and he would make a good chief.
Dr. Frank Kardasz

[Tori K]

In response to Camp's comment. It isn't the selection process that is being criticized, it is the decision by the commission to add 2 more names to the list of 4 finalist. The commission is the one that is not honoring the selection process.

[marijane]

Stumpy wrote:

I would like to see candidates given a polygraph, and the results made public. Questions like, "Have you ever taken a bribe, have you let people go because of who they are, are you a silent partner with a criminal," have you framed anyone, etc. Nothing personal, just questions that would keep corrupt people from applying.

THANK YOU!!!

[Keith Haugen]

Aloha:

Perception matters. We may never know why the Police Commission Chairwoman asked to have the two next highest candidates added to the four recommended by the advisory committee. But a lot of people feel it was because her choice was not among the four, but was probably in the next two.

True or not, it poses a problem in that perception is very important.

Many citizens of our fair city believe 'the fix is in' and that is bad, for all of us, including all of the candidates. Even the one ultimately chosen as our new chief of police will be tainted by the actions of the commission chairwoman.

I think she should resign, in the interest of making the process look as fair as she says it is.

And I agree that all the candidates should be considered by the commission as a whole, not the sub-committee of non-commission members. Don't consider only the four that were recommended, or the four plus the two that the chairwoman wanted added to the list. Consider them all and eliminate all doubt. Pick the best candidate and let him or her start without having a cloud over his or her head.

It appears to me, from what I've read and heard, that we have a good list of very well qualified applicants and we will have a good next chief. But the public also needs to feel that it was fair and not 'fixed.'

That would be in the best interest of the new chief as well as the community.

Me ka pono,

Keith Haugen
Nu`uanu

[Honolulu Resident]

"If there truly was a favored candidate, the commission could have just hired that person," she said. "We didn't do that." Christine Camp.

That makes Camp look even more guilty of some hanky panky. It appears that she is now saying she added two more to the list so it would "look" more impartial. Let's start over. The public and the candidates deserve that much.

[Kong]

Keith Haugen wrote:

Aloha:
Perception matters. We may never know why the Police Commission Chairwoman asked to have the two next highest candidates added to the four recommended by the advisory committee. But a lot of people feel it was because her choice was not among the four, but was probably in the next two.
True or not, it poses a problem in that perception is very important.
Many citizens of our fair city believe 'the fix is in' and that is bad, for all of us, including all of the candidates. Even the one ultimately chosen as our new chief of police will be tainted by the actions of the commission chairwoman.
I think she should resign, in the interest of making the process look as fair as she says it is.
And I agree that all the candidates should be considered by the commission as a whole, not the sub-committee of non-commission members. Don't consider only the four that were recommended, or the four plus the two that the chairwoman wanted added to the list. Consider them all and eliminate all doubt. Pick the best candidate and let him or her start without having a cloud over his or her head.
It appears to me, from what I've read and heard, that we have a good list of very well qualified applicants and we will have a good next chief. But the public also needs to feel that it was fair and not 'fixed.'
That would be in the best interest of the new chief as well as the community.
Me ka pono,
Keith Haugen
Nu`uanu

At this point, if Tandal is chosen it will appear that the results were rigged, even if Camp resigns and all of the original candidates are considered for the job.

[Truth Hurts]

Capt.Kealoha is the right person for this job; period. Everyone in HPD knows it because of his educational credentials, in field reputation, history of sound judgment, age, proven dedication, and the ability to inspire trust in his fellow officers. The Commission's whole desire to move away from Chief Correa is because they want a long term Chief commitment of 5 years. The current Chief is a good guy, but 5 years is a long time. Capt. Kealoha will leave HPD a better place than it has ever been if he is just given the chance to lead. Sometimes organizations need a long term leader when the pressures of transformation is upon it; just like when the depressed U.S.A. needed FDR for 3 terms. HPD is in a Depression over the process decisions thus far. Just $0.02 worth sharing because Joe Public has no idea how important the culture of our Police force impacts our collective quality of life. We are safest City because of the influence and integration of this culture that mainland guys can't comprehend. DON'T MESS WITH IT!

I have nothing bad to say about the Camp family.

[Flexo]

What a farce this selection process has turned into. No doubt that all the candidates are well qualified but Camp has tainted the process with her shennanigans.
I guess by Wednesday Mufi will have told her who to choose, and that's when the police commission will make it official and tell the public.

[Poi]

This is Hawaii.

This is how it's worked for 50 years.

Back room deals.

Who you know.

You know it.

Come on.

Just move along.

Nothing to see.

Nothing you can do about it.

And if you try, you and your family will pay the price for speaking out.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The power brokers are watching you.

[Von]

Keith Haugen wrote:

Aloha:
Perception matters. We may never know why the Police Commission Chairwoman asked to have the two next highest candidates added to the four recommended by the advisory committee. But a lot of people feel it was because her choice was not among the four, but was probably in the next two.
True or not, it poses a problem in that perception is very important.
Many citizens of our fair city believe 'the fix is in' and that is bad, for all of us, including all of the candidates. Even the one ultimately chosen as our new chief of police will be tainted by the actions of the commission chairwoman.
I think she should resign, in the interest of making the process look as fair as she says it is.
And I agree that all the candidates should be considered by the commission as a whole, not the sub-committee of non-commission members. Don't consider only the four that were recommended, or the four plus the two that the chairwoman wanted added to the list. Consider them all and eliminate all doubt. Pick the best candidate and let him or her start without having a cloud over his or her head.
It appears to me, from what I've read and heard, that we have a good list of very well qualified applicants and we will have a good next chief. But the public also needs to feel that it was fair and not 'fixed.'
That would be in the best interest of the new chief as well as the community.
Me ka pono,
Keith Haugen
Nu`uanu

Everything is perception. There is no life without perception.
Yes I am sure all the candidates are great well qualified people also.
As for as the public needing to feel that it was fair and not fixed? I think that is too strong of a statement. I would prefer to say it's just a matter of day to day policy and no one concocted out a premeditated scheme.

Many times people never stop to analyze the situation of day to day things because that was how it was always done.

[alice]

Haugen is right.

[Truth Hurts]

Poi wrote:

This is Hawaii.
This is how it's worked for 50 years.
Back room deals.
Who you know.
You know it.
Come on.
Just move along.
Nothing to see.
Nothing you can do about it.
And if you try, you and your family will pay the price for speaking out.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The power brokers are watching you.

Old Hawaii is getting old. New blood with old respect is the way of the world. Watch the Hawaii Democratic Party for the next 5 years; it is growing up. Time is against all tyranny.:)