Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment in a series of stories on the Kaua‘i Police Department. LIHU‘E — New leadership brings new challenges and, with it, some controversy. Kaua‘i Police Department Chief K.C. Lum has been on
Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment in a series of stories on the Kaua‘i Police Department.
LIHU‘E — New leadership brings new challenges and, with it, some controversy.
Kaua‘i Police Department Chief K.C. Lum has been on the job for about 11 months.
During his tenure, crime associated with drug use, namely robberies, theft and assaults, have declined, while methamphetamine and other illegal-drug seizures have soared, due to increased drug-enforcement efforts.
“My philosophy is patrol officers should pay attention to drug-related crimes also, not just the vice unit of the department. So, instead of a small unit of vice officers doing island-wide vice enforcement, we have included all the officers who patrol police beats every day to do proactive enforcement,” said Lum.
“This can equate to 75 or more officers doing drug enforcement.”
Lum said he has consciously brought about a change in management style and direction, one based on merit, not patronage.
“I think we’ve brought in a more-progressive management style, one where you don’t base decisions on friendship or preferences,” Lum said in a recent interview.
“We have rearranged our philosophy in getting people into the position which would enhance the ability of that individual to do the job. I stepped away from the old way of doing business — moving officers based on seniority. Now, it is based on ability and qualifications for the position,” Lum said.
Grant Yata, a 30-year law-enforcement veteran, said he thought something different might be happening.
Yata, who joined KPD in 1976 and retired in 2002 (his last assignment was as commander of the Vice and Narcotics Unit in 2002), said that, in the past, there had been an established, annual evaluation system for patrol officers, where they were held accountable in certain areas of performance, such as a minimum amount of traffic citations issued, felony arrests made, subpoenas served, DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs) arrests made, misdemeanor arrests made, that had to be accomplished in a one-year period for an officer to get a minimum satisfactory annual job evaluation.
Yata said that if an officer did not achieve minimum numbers in all of those categories, then he or she did not get a passing evaluation. If an officer achieved those minimum numbers and exceeded them, then they could get a “more than, or excellent,” evaluation.
“In other words, you were graded on your performance of accomplishment with set standards. This was so everyone could be graded on a set system, instead of the supervisor having total discretion to pass or fail someone, with nothing to back up that rating,” he said.
“Seniority tells me you’ve been in the department a certain length of time. I think you base a career on knowledge,” Lum said. “Policing changes every day, and technology changes as well,” Lum said.
“Currently, the chief has changed things to revert back to the old days,” Yata said. “An officer does not have to do the minimum numbers of citations or arrests as long as his supervisor backs him up and gives him a passing grade regardless of the numbers he achieves, then that is that,” Yata said.
“The current evaluation system went through the police union and the patrol services (bureau) to accomplish the new style of evaluation. I trust the patrol and SHOPO to represent the best interest of the officers,” Lum replied.
Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste complimented KPD leaders and officers on their collective efforts at reducing crime.
“The numbers speak for themselves. The successes we’re realizing need to be credited to the entire police department, all the dedicated men and women in the department, along with Chief Lum, because it truly is a team effort,” Baptiste said.
At a regular meeting of the Kaua‘i Police Commission last Friday, Baptiste said county leaders were conducting what he referred to as an “internal audit” to figure out how, and why, the KPD leaders overspent their budget for 2004-2005 by $321,000.
Police Commission Chair Michael Ching filed suit against county officials in June, seeking access to executive-session minutes (ES 177) from a Jan. 20 meeting of members of the Kaua‘i County Council, where KPD matters were reportedly addressed.
The $321,000 in overtime represents about 2.6 percent of the KPD’s $12.08 million budget for 2004-2005.
Lum said there was nothing in the KPD monthly financial report to indicate the department had overrun its budget. Lum said KPD leaders had asked county officials for more overtime funds during the budgeting process for this fiscal year, but were denied.
Lum said the May report indicated about 10 percent of the budget was available for June, the last fiscal month of 2004-2005. He said KPD’s monthly expenditures for May were about $951,000, while KPD’s balance was at $1.1 million.
He also cited a KPD memo dated May 3 referring to fiscal responsibility stating that all overtime must be approved on a case-by-case basis, based upon need and timeliness.
The mayor had this take on Lum’s management performance so far.
“When someone is selected to a higher position, there’s a learning curve he must go through. We need to work with K.C. and provide training where it is needed, as well as closer oversight.
“He manages a large and complex organization, so more time is needed to determine his long-term effectiveness.”
Ching said it was the five police commissioners, not members of another entity, who evaluate the chief on a annual basis.
Yata said overtime is a huge issue for today’s KPD, especially in terms of transfers.
“If an officer is gone, someone has to replace him, so then you have overtime. If you delay transfers or promotions till you have a new recruit-class trained, you will have less overtime,” he said.
Yata went further. He said in talking to some officers, they mentioned working seven days a week at times, but were not worried about the overtime because members of the KPD administration gave them the go-ahead because it looks good for the department’s statistics when arrests are made for drug charges.
“Don’t blame the officers that are taking advantage of the situation to make extra dollars. But if there are no more dollars to be spent or you can better control those dollars, then somebody better turn off the spigot before it goes dry,” Yata said.
Lum said there were a lot of subtleties to the overtime situation. “You can’t stop all overtime. This is a public-safety department,” he said.
Lum gave this as a hypothetical example: Members of the vice department are tipped off to an ice shipment arriving on island after their shift is over. They need to keep working to check out the tip and make an ice bust.
“They are not going to go home and let it happen,” he said.
Lum would not say if he felt county leaders were trying to undermine him with the budget issue, but said, “I have no idea if they have an issue (with me) or not, but there has been outside influence to change decisions I make within the department.”
Lum did not specify the source of the influence.
County Department of Finance Director Mike Tresler said he would have his audit report and recommendations ready for members of the Kaua‘i Police Commission within two weeks.
Ching said the matter would be put on the agenda of a Wednesday, Sept. 14 meeting.
Lum said he has no problem with his office having a management audit.
“We want to utilize the public’s money more efficiently.”
