LIHU‘E — In law-enforcement parlance, they’re known as “DTOs.” And in the two years since Darryl Perry became chief of the Kaua‘i Police Department, five known Kaua‘i drug-trafficking organizations have been dismantled or diminished by arrests or other disruptions, according
LIHU‘E — In law-enforcement parlance, they’re known as “DTOs.”
And in the two years since Darryl Perry became chief of the Kaua‘i Police Department, five known Kaua‘i drug-trafficking organizations have been dismantled or diminished by arrests or other disruptions, according to Perry’s report on accomplishments for 2008-09.
The departmental goal as determined by the county Police Commission in June 2008 was to dismantle two DTOs.
The five DTOs dismantled meant arrests of 22 of 33 suspects (the cases are all ongoing), and some of those arrested have “flipped,” or offered information on other
suspects in the organizations, Perry said Friday.
The busts — all of operations dealing crystal methamphetamine, or ice, and cocaine and marijuana — have led to the removal of more than $3 million worth of illegal drugs off the island’s streets, including 2,644 marijuana plants valued at $2.64 million and 16,187 grams (over 36 pounds) of processed marijuana valued at $405,000.
Some 512 grams of ice worth $128,000 has been confiscated, along with 30 grams of cocaine. Related seizures netted seven firearms, $147,235 in cash and 25 vehicles, according to Perry’s report.
“The dismantling of these organizations has put a significant dent in the distribution network, but intelligence revealed that mid-level subordinate drug dealers are prepared to step in to fill the void,” Perry wrote in his chief’s goals 2008-09 message to the commission.
Working with federal agencies, KPD is using electronic surveillance “on significant DTO targets,” Perry wrote.
The other commission benchmark goals for 2008-09, as established in mid-2008, were to reduce sworn-officer vacancies in half (from 20 to 10), and promote and support the Kaua‘i Police Activities League and School Resource Officer program.
Reducing the number of sworn-officer vacancies has proven a difficult task, complicated by the fact that terminations, retirements and release of officers meant Perry inherited a vacancy rate of nearly 18 percent (26 positions from an authorized strength of 148 officers), his report states.
Within two months on the job, Perry supervised the release of four additional officers “for various acts of misconduct,” pushing the vacancy rate to 30 positions, or just over 20 percent.
“In an organization of this size where just one vacancy creates challenges, 30 vacancies were tantamount to a pending catastrophe with respect to safeguarding the public,” he wrote.
“The repercussions include less beat coverage, reduced service delivery, officer burnout and safety issues, increased sick and workers-compensation claims, increased citizens complaints, reduced training and retraining opportunities, psychological belief that ‘no one cares,’ lax supervision, less accountability,” he said.
Recruitment of new police officers and retainment of experienced officers “became our No. 1 priority,” knowing the goal was to reduce to 10 the number of sworn vacancies by the end of this year, he said.
Since January 2008, some 19 officers have joined KPD, but through additional terminations and retirements, there are currently 20 sworn vacancies, with a new recruit class not scheduled to begin before early spring 2010, he said.
Perry in his report said he envisions a 2010 recruit class of 15 people, which if they all successfully complete training will reduce the sworn-officer vacancy number to five.
During the Friday interview, Perry called it “disappointing” that KPD won’t be able to fill all the sworn vacancies by year’s end, and said background checks and other verifications are taking much longer than expected, due in part to a large number of applicants.
Still, since he took the top-cop position, complaints against officers have gone down, there are less officer grievances, work productivity is up, the taking of sick leave is down, workers compensation claims are down and the number of officers staying home after sustaining injuries is down, he said.
“We’re holding each other accountable. We have to watch out for each other,” said Perry, categorizing officer and department morale as very good.
There are also 12 civilian vacancies that Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. has not allowed to be filled, Perry said.
Each civilian employee is responsible for specific police-support functions, and being 12 bodies short means others have to take over their work, causing stress and other concerns, he said.
“We need those” civilian positions filled, but understand the county’s economic reality. “We’re a team player,” he said.
“It’s been a sad year,” with the deaths of two civilian employees, several retirees “and members of the KPD extended ‘ohana,” Perry said.
“If I’ve learned one thing in this job, it’s that it really doesn’t matter what accomplishments you’ve achieved or the projects you’ve completed. No one will remember them.
“What really matters, and what the employees will remember about you, is how you treated them as individuals, whether or not you were caring and treated them with dignity and respect,” he said.
“That is why it is important that we acknowledge the loss of a loved one and be there for them. I want to make sure that we reach out to those families who are suffering with grief, and let them know we will always be there to help,” he said.
In addition to the three goals from the commission, Perry’s report also lists nearly an entire page of other goals and objectives, most of them attained in 2008-09, including updating or writing new written directives, aggressively seeking continuous professional training to boost teamwork and morale, fostering community partnerships, and several internal and external stability objectives including staying within a diminished operating budget and reducing various types of crimes like drunk driving and property crimes.
