Kaua‘i County officials Wednesday night announced that Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry has been placed on leave —just one day after his two assistant chiefs were placed on leave. While the county offered no explanation in terse statements that were
Kaua‘i County officials Wednesday night announced that Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry has been placed on leave —just one day after his two assistant chiefs were placed on leave.
While the county offered no explanation in terse statements that were released Tuesday and Wednesday, Perry said late Wednesday that “the truth will come out,” and that the actions were brought about by the mayor’s office.
“What I can tell you about my assistant chiefs, I have the utmost trust in their decision-making. They’re beyond reproach,” Perry said about Assistant Chief Roy Asher and Assistant Chief Ale Quibilan, who were placed on leave Tuesday.
“About myself, my reputation speaks for itself. I’m about transparency. I’m about honesty. I’m about doing the right thing. I have not strayed from those values,” Perry said.
“Right now, it’s so sensitive. This has implications beyond this organization,” Perry said.
The county news releases offered no explanation, outside statements that the moves involved a personnel matter, before listing their acting replacements.
“This leadership structure will be in place until the investigation of an employee complaint has been concluded,” Wednesday night’s news release from the county stated. “No further information will be released, as it is a personnel matter.”
Deputy Police Chief Michael Contrades will serve as acting police chief. Assistant Chief Mark Begley has been appointed by Contrades as acting deputy chief.
Perry said he had been told not to comment about the matter.
“This is an action that was brought about by my superiors, and by that I mean the mayor’s office,” the chief said.
“I feel at the conclusion of this personnel action against myself and the other two assistant chiefs, the truth will come out and hopefully it can be explained to the public, but that’s all I can say,” he said.
“I wanted to convey to the public that this adminsitration has always been about being truthful, about being honest and being transparent, and so what has happened is difficult for myself as well as for the assistant chiefs,” he said.
Perry, a former Honolulu police officer who attained the rank of major in the criminal investigation division, has been Kauai‘is police chief since August 2007.
