LIHUE — Darryl Perry said he is reaching the end of his police career. But that’s OK, he said. “My law enforcement career has run its course, and I feel like it’s time for the department to move forward with
LIHUE — Darryl Perry said he is reaching the end of his police career.
But that’s OK, he said.
“My law enforcement career has run its course, and I feel like it’s time for the department to move forward with new ideas,” Perry said.
Though it has been common for the police veteran to be seen testifying before the Kauai County Council on a number of KPD issues, some of Perry’s friends told him that the next chapter in his life should include a view from the other side of the room.
“I’ve never been involved on the legislative side of the criminal justice system, and I felt maybe that’s a good thing,” Perry said. “I felt that this would be a good time to make that transition and I bring a variety of experiences on the executive side of government and I was thinking that perhaps I could help.”
And that is why Perry said he filed his nomination papers on Friday to run for a seat on the Kauai County Council.
Perry, who was sworn in as the police department’s seventh police chief in October 2007, has a total of 36 years of law enforcement experience under his belt with the Honolulu and Kauai Police Departments.
In his 25-year career with the Honolulu Police Department, the 63-year-old police veteran rose through the chain of command to attain the rank of major in HPD’s criminal investigation division before retiring in 2002.
He also served as the chief of security at First Hawaiian Bank from 2003 to 2004 before serving as an investigator with the state attorney general’s office in 2006.
When asked if he ever pictured himself running for office, Perry said, “I never thought I would be a sergeant.”
“The changes in my life, as it moved forward, was based on the circumstances as they were happening,” Perry said. “If you had asked me seven years ago if I was going to run for the County Council, I would I have said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
If elected, Perry said he wants to try and make some decisions that now happen behind closed doors, to a certain extent, more open to the public.
“In terms of government in the legislative branch, I find it problematic that a lot of the issues concerning the public goes into closed sessions, executive sessions, and I would like to look at ways of making that more open,” Perry said. “I know everybody uses the term transparency, but I want to see how we can be more open and have the people who voted us, if I’m elected, be a part of the process instead of having decisions made by only a few.”
The key, he said, is also making decisions objectively and “based on facts, evidence and what’s best for the community.”
Though the county elections office was unable to confirm if Perry would be allowed to serve as police chief during the elections process by press time, Perry and other county officials said he would likely be required to resign only if he is elected.
In all, eight candidates, including Perry, have filed their nomination papers to run for a seat on the Kauai County Council in the November election, according to county election documents.
The deadline for all candidates to file their nomination papers is June 3.
