• Inhibiting the growth of drugs on our island.

• Reducing traffic fatalities.

STAFF

As of June 30, 1998, the Hawaii County Police Department had 500 full-time positions with 366 sworn personnel and 134 civilian personnel. There were 37 part-time school crossing guards and 23 Police Officer I unfunded temporary positions.

Role/Functions

The Police Commission consists of nine members, one appointed from each of the nine county districts. The members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the County Council.

The functions of the Police Commission are to adopt rules as it may consider necessary for the conduct of its business and regulation of matters committed to its charge; to review the rules and regulations of the department when it deems it necessary; to review the department's annual budget prepared by the Police Chief and make recommendations thereon to the Mayor; to submit an annual report to the Mayor and County Council; to receive, consider and investigate charges brought by the public against the conduct of the department or any of its members and submit a written report of its findings to the Police chief; to advise the Police Chief on police-community relations; and to hire personnel necessary to carry out its functions.

Police Commission members are Chairperson, Clarence Mills, District IX-North and South Kohala; Vice Chairperson, Clarence Souza, District I-Hamakua; Sharon Scheele, District II-South Hilo, Francis Smith, District IV-South Hilo; Wilfred M. Okabe, District III-South Hilo; Deborah Baker, District VII-South Kona; Clyde Williams, District VIII-North Kona; and Burnalyn Yee, District V-Puna. The seat for District VI-Ka'u, is vacant.

Personnel Services

Salaries & Wages, Straight Time $17,634,688

Salaries & Wages, Others $ 2,167,324

ACTIVITIES

Investigative Operations

The Criminal Investigation, Juvenile Aid and Vice Sections fall under the auspices of the Investigative Operations Bureau. The Bureau is split between two regions, designated Areas I and II.

Area I encompasses the districts of North and South Hilo, Hamakua, Puna and Ka'u.

Area II covers the districts of North and South Kohala and North and South Kona.

The Criminal Investigation Section collectively has thirteen Detective Sergeants and several support personnel assigned to Areas I and II.

The Vice Section is centrally located within the districts of South Hilo and Kona and servicing Areas I and II respectively. There are six Detective Sergeants and ten PO-III positions assigned to this section.

The Juvenile Aid Section has a complement of seven Detective Sergeants and two PO-III positions assigned to it.

Field Operations

The Field Operations Bureau is divided into the two regions, Area I and Area II.

Field Operations, more commonly referred to as the Patrol Division, is comprised of 289 patrol officers and field supervisors. Seven captains are assigned to command districts of Area I and II along with support staff personnel. The Field Operations Bureau also oversees the Community Policing Program.

Vice Section

The Hawaii County Police Department continued its commitment to rid our community of illicit drugs and to address other vice activities. Through its enforcement efforts, substantial seizures and arrests were made during the 1997-98 fiscal year.

In 1997, police eradicated 261,962 marijuana plants. It also seized 39.9 pounds of processed marijuana, 4.2 pounds of cocaine, 2.3 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 9.4 ounces of heroin and recovered 36 firearms.

Vice-related arrests included 182 for gambling and cruelty to animals and 23 for prostitution.

Several real properties were seized in connection with narcotics-related investigations and gambling activities. Further $35,816 in currency and approximately $240,975 in other tangible property were also confiscated.

Traffic Enforcement Unit

There were 30 traffic fatalities on the big Island in 1997. Alcohol-related deaths included 13 persons, or 43% of all traffic deaths.

Traffic fatalities claimed nine lives in Puna, seven in South Kohala, five in Hilo, four in Kona, four in Hamakua, one in North Kohala and none in North Hilo and Ka'u.

DUI enforcement efforts netted 755 drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Of the total 4,975 accidents, 2,393 were major accidents involving death, injury and/or property loss in excess of $3,000. Of the major traffic accidents, 1,486 accidents resulted in injuries or deaths on our highways.

Police Recruit Class

Twenty-five new police officers joined the ranks of the Big Island police force. After 5 2 months of classroom instruction and 3 2 months of on-the-job training with a Field training officer, the Hawaii County Police Department graduated its 54th police recruit class on March 15, 1998. The 55th police recruit class started on March 2, 1998 and will complete their training on November 30,1998.

Hawaii Isle Police Activities League (HI-PAL)

The mission of the Hawaii Isle Police Activities League is to provide recreational activities as a diversion for youths with emphasis on establishing fellowship, promoting sportsmanship and improving and nurturing moral and civic standards. More than 2,500 children took part in HI-PAL's various programs, which include baseball, basketball, volleyball and tennis. Special activities included basketball and baseball clinics, and the Easter Egg Hunt for emotionally and physically challenged children.

Positive Alternative Gang Education (P.A.G.E.)

The objectives of the P.A.G.E. program and the commitment of the officers involved to rid our community of gang involvement and related gang violence remain unchanged. More than 2,100 junior high students took part in the program offered by the department's Juvenile Aid Section officers. And during the 1997-98 school year, the P.A.G.E. curriculum was increase to 11 schools. The primary focus of the program is to encourage positive alternative behavior for youths at risk and divert them from the hidden dangers associated with gangs. Gangs are often controlled by adults that attempt to lure youths to become involved by masking the real-life consequences of choosing to affiliate oneself with gangs. Through its classroom curriculum, P.A.G.E. draws attention and broadens awareness on how gang involvement destroys lives. Beyond the classroom, P.A.G.E. offers positive alternatives and encourages the youth in our community to make the right choices and through community service projects instills community pride.

Community-Oriented Policing

Fiscal year 1997-98 was a busy year for the Hawaii County Department's Community-Oriented Policing efforts. The crime prevention efforts concerning the Neighborhood Watch Program, Emergency Notification Decal System Program (E.N.D.S.), Home and Business Security Checks, Beautification Checks and Beautification Projects as well as training continued throughout the year.

The Neighborhood Watch Program saw 19 new and re-established watches, bringing the total to 137 communities and neighborhoods being involved throughout the Big Island. The program is looking forward to extending The E.N.D.S. to include the entire downtown Hilo area, which comprises more than 300 businesses.

During the past year, Community Policing Officers distributed more than 60 security check handouts and conducted about 30 checks involving residences and business establishments. Officers were also asked to conduct similar checks for various State and County agencies in an effort to prevent crime occurring on their premises.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)

The Hawaii County Police D.A.R.E. officers presented various curricula to nearly 5,300 elementary, junior and senior high student participants during the 1997-98 school year.

For more than a decade, the Hawaii County Police Department, in partnership with the State Department of Education has offered the D.A.R.E. program to all public and private schools on the Big Island. The Police Department remains the pacesetter for the state, offering a range of D.A.R.E. curricula to third, fifth, eighth and 10th graders.

D.A.R.E. Officers have participated in training seminars coordinated by the D.A.R.E. Western Regional and Hawaii State Training Centers to prepare our neighboring counties for future expansion. Besides guiding the inevitable expansion of the program to junior high, both have been involved in the certification of new officer instructors for the Pacific region.

Sixty-five students at Waiakea High School were presented to the D.A.R.E. Senior High program during its summer session. More than 120 elementary, junior and senior high students attended the D.A.R.E. Summer Leadership Institutes VIII and IX at Mauna Kea State Park. The three-day summer program offers a variety of workshops dealing with conflict resolution, anger management, violence prevention, developing vision and striving for a healthy, productive and drug-free lifestyle.

Community Relations Section

The Hawaii County Police Department's Community Relations and Crime Prevention Section hosted more than 2,350 pre-school, elementary, intermediate, high school and college students by providing guided tours of the Public Safety Complex and district police stations islandwide.

Nearly 200 public speaking requests were answered, reaching more than 59,900 persons. These requests involved demonstrations and lectures on a multitude of topics ranging from McGruff-the Crime Dog, Kidcare I.D., Stranger Danger, Drug and Gang Awareness, Home Security, Personal Safety, Traffic Safety and Laws, Arrest Procedures, Halloween Safety, Robbery Readiness and Theft Prevention.