Police Commissioners sought clarification Friday as to why documents that demonstrate crime trends on-island — and are considered a matter of public record — aren’t posted on the county’s Web site. The policy, which precludes residents or media from having
Police Commissioners sought clarification Friday as to why documents that demonstrate crime trends on-island — and are considered a matter of public record — aren’t posted on the county’s Web site.
The policy, which precludes residents or media from having arrest information e-mailed, mailed or faxed, has been in place since June 29, 2006, a short time after the early retirement of former Police Chief K.C. Lum.
Though the daily bulletin was made available by the county on the Internet a little more than a year ago, neither that information nor arrest log data are publicly posted anymore. Instead, the public forum has since become police commission meetings, whereby commissioners have the additional task of listening to a laundry list of arrest-related information that has to be verbally entered into the record.
The format involves an officer’s verbal summary of arrest highlights that aren’t necessarily as comprehensive as the daily bulletin, Acting Chief Clayton Arinaga said.
A cached capture of the county’s Web site in June of last year shows the statement offered by the county that effectively ended the posting of the daily bulletin information on its Web site:
“The daily bulletin will be discontinued on the County Web site. The daily arrest log information will be available to the public from the Patrol Services Bureau lobby area from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).”
Police Commission Vice Chair Tom Iannucci asked police Friday why information that is verbally discussed in a public forum isn’t made accessible online.
“The public is supposed to have access to certain aspects of the police department, and I don’t know if a police commission meeting is the forum for that access,” he said. “They’re giving highlights — which is OK — but I just was unclear as to why it can’t be posted.”
Arinaga told commissioners that the daily bulletin and arrest logs are available for viewing at the station, and that the County Attorney’s Office had advised against keeping those data online.
Deputy County Attorney Rosa Flores said she would have to consult with her office before offering commissioners a reason because of attorney-client privilege.
Residents, especially those on the North Shore, have made requests for the police to make that information public, in order to keep abreast of what’s happening on the island — and their own neighborhoods — without having to drive more than an hour to Lihu‘e during the record’s department business hours.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
