Kaua‘i County Councilman Mel Rapozo voiced his frustration over a Kaua‘i Police Commission decision to continue its search for a new police chief before the council takes action on a proposal to increase the salaries of the police chief and
Kaua‘i County Councilman Mel Rapozo voiced his frustration over a Kaua‘i Police Commission decision to continue its search for a new police chief before the council takes action on a proposal to increase the salaries of the police chief and other appointees of Mayor Bryan Baptiste.
The police commission should wait until the council acts on a salary increase proposal presented by the Kaua‘i Salary Commission, Rapozo said.
A higher salary could draw a pool of even more qualified police chief applicants, Rapozo told The Garden Island.
The commission is proposing to lift the police chief’s salary from $66,073 to $75,000, and is awaiting council action.
In anticipation of the call for salary increases for the mayor’s office and appointees, the council set aside $175,000 in next year’s county operating budget.
In an e-mail to The Garden Island, Rapozo said the council’s approval of a new police chief’s salary, as recommended, would mark a 13.5 increase over the current salary.
“I suggested to the police commission, via letter, to hold off on the hiring until the new salary ordinance was passed (by the council),” Rapozo said.
With the new salary, “there would no doubt be a larger pool of candidates for the job,” Rapozo wrote.
“This is the most prudent thing to do, as many experienced officers within the Kaua‘i Police Department, as well as throughout the state of Hawai‘i, did not apply because of the current salary,” Rapozo said.
He said his concern, which he expressed to the commission, was “that they were not getting the most qualified applicants for this very important position.”
Rapozo said he raised his concern with the police commission members, but “they elected to continue as planned.”
Kaua‘i Police Commissioner Victor Punua and commissioner Carol Furtado were not immediately available. Police commissioner Michael Ching said he had not heard of Rapozo’s proposal previously. Rapozo said he doesn’t see any point in the police commission rushing to find a permanent police chief, because an interim police chief is at the helm of KPD now.
K.C. Lum was recently sworn in as interim police chief, replacing interim police chief William Ihu, who retired.
Prior to be named to the new post recently, Lum held the rank of lieutenant with KPD. Rapozo said the commission is obligated to appoint the most qualified person, with “necessary skills and experience,” to the police chief’s position.
The Kaua‘i Police Commission has narrowed the field from six candidates to three: Lum, Kaua‘i Police Lt. Regina Ventura and Darryl Perry.
Lester Chang, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225), or lchang@pulitzer.net
