LIHUE — Kauai Chief of Police Darryl Perry said that with the County Council’s approval of the CrimeNtel intelligence sharing program, the department has an enhanced ability to prevent criminal or terrorist acts by working in conjunction with state and
LIHUE — Kauai Chief of Police Darryl Perry said that with the County Council’s approval of the CrimeNtel intelligence sharing program, the department has an enhanced ability to prevent criminal or terrorist acts by working in conjunction with state and national intelligence and law enforcement networks.
“Eavesdropping is not what KPD or the state agencies are about,” Perry said. “We are about keeping communities safe and if we stray from that we shouldn’t be police officers and that is part of our oath as police officers.”
The Council on Nov. 20 approved the KPD request to accept $21,200 in CrimeNtel software from Hawaii State Civil Defense Division of the Department of Defense. There is no cost to the county, the annual $3,000 maintenance fee is waived for the first year, and there is no contractual obligation.
Even still, Councilmember Gary Hooser cast the lone no-vote with concerns about privacy and individual rights.
The invasion of privacy is always a concern, Perry said, and without probable cause the police cannot approach and individual. He said CrimeNtel helps KPD to share information and that to act responsibly there would be periodic system purges.
The alternative is to step back into separate intelligence silos that existed prior to 9/11, he said. This would eventually result in acts of domestic or international terrorism that could have been prevented if information was shared.
“I have no doubt about it,” Perry said.
County Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar said the unique location of the state and the high volume of mobility presents special crime risks that give value to a software tracking application.
“The ease of movement around the islands and to and from the Mainland makes collaboration necessary in order for law enforcement to function effectively,” Kollar said. “This is especially true as Hawaii does not have a central state police agency like many other states do, and law enforcement is left largely to the counties.”
Responsible information sharing is a necessary part of that process and that individual privacy rights need to be protected, Kollar added.
“It’s part of our job to make sure they are protected,” he said.
Kauai joins more than 110 agencies nationwide, including the Big Island, Maui, and Honolulu Police departments, and the state Fusion Center, that already use CrimeNtel in its web, mobile or Windows application.
KPD Lt. Paul Applegate said the department’s criminal intelligence unit will use the Microsoft Windows-based software. It analyzes information from multiple databases to make historical connections between criminal organizations, activities, vehicles, and individuals involved to help fight organized crime along with foreign and domestic terrorism, he said.
“Organized crime as well as terrorist organizations are always looking for ways to exploit what they call the weakest link in planning their activities,” Applegate said. “It (the software) will lessen our chances of potentially being viewed as the weakest link here in Hawaii.”
