After nearly four hours of mostly closed-door discussions, the Kaua’i County Police Commission voted Friday afternoon to go forward on five of seven charges against suspended police chief George Freitas. For the first time, the charges were made public, although
After nearly four hours of mostly closed-door discussions, the Kaua’i County Police Commission voted Friday afternoon to go forward on five of seven charges against suspended police chief George Freitas.
For the first time, the charges were made public, although there had been rumors and partial reports concerning the allegations against Freitas by two high-ranking officers circulating since August.
Freitas was placed on paid leave three months ago.
The commission will conduct a hearing on the charges it decided to press further against Freitas.
One of the charges revealed Friday appeared serious, while most seemed personal and personnel-related and less like possibly actionable charges of misconduct.
But evidently, all were investigated with equal vigor.
The first charge alleged that Freitas violated the code of conduct in his manner of issuing orders to a subordinate on June 28. The commission voted 3 to 2 to go forward, Commission members Norman Holt, Stanton Pa and Dede Wilhelm voted yes; Mike Ching and Victor Punua opposed.
Charge two, which appeared to be the most serious allegation, alleged that the county prosecuting attorney’s asked the Police Department to requestion suspended officer Nelson Gabriel’s wife in one of the two pending cases against Gabriel. According to the allegation, Freitas told the complainant not to question the woman again.
The request was then made in writing, but according to the commission investigation (conducted for the county by Honolulu Police Commission investigator John Ko), the written request never reached the Police Department’s investigative service bureau.
This allegation, labeled “hindering prosecution,” was moved on to a further hearing by a vote of 4 to 1, with Ching opposing.
Freitas has denied this allegation repeatedly.
Charge three was that Freitas was seen driving an unmarked police car with his girlfriend on July 21, looking for a home, violating a departmental rule for official vehicle use. This charge was unanimously dropped by the commission.
Charge four, resulting from the same incident, was that Freitas violated a rule prohibiting transporting civilians in a police vehicle without a police purpose. The vote to move this on to a hearing was unanimous.
Charge five alleged that Freitas was observed parking in the wrong direction on a public street. The commission voted unanimously to dismiss this allegation.
Charge six alleged that Freitas interrogated one of the two complainants against him about the upcoming commission proceedings on Aug. 2. A complainant alleged that the chief “was out of control, ranting and raving,” and that the alleged session in his bosses’ office resulted in him missing three days of work due to stress from the encounter.
This purportedly violated some departmental standards of conduct that state all officers should “be treated with respect.” The commission voted 4 to 1 (Ching cast the lone dissenting vote) to proceed with this allegation.
The seventh charge was that after the alleged encounter on Aug. 2, Freitas told the complainant anything said in his office was to stay there. This was alleged to be a violation of the manner of issuing orders. The commission went forward on this complaint 3 to 2, with Ching and Punua in opposition.
The commission then tried to set a hearing date for Dec. 11. But Freitas’ attorney, Margery Bronster, former state attorney general, told the commission she would be involved in a trial in Oahu and would prefer written notice so she could discuss the situation with her client. She did not agree to the Dec. 11 date.
Earlier, before the vote, Bronster had accused the commission of violating its own rules and the county charter. In a letter dated Nov. 14 to county attorney Hartwell Blake, Bronster wrote, “Rather than follow the mandates” of the county charter and the rules of the Police Commission, “the commission has acted without authority in violation of its own rules and in violation of chief Freitas’ rights.” The actions turned “an already untenable situation into an egregious one,” she claimed.
“To the extent that the chief understands the allegations, he denies them,” Bronster said after yesterday’s meeting.
She said the commission “denied him the right to counsel … They are not following the law.”
Freitas said he was “further confused by today’s proceedings. But I did not hinder an investigation.”
Bronster requested that Freitas be reinstated to his position as chief before the meeting ended, but that request was ignored.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
