Hawaii county police chief candidates weigh in on immigration enforcement

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Hawaii County Police Commission interviewed eight finalists for permanent police chief Wednesday, five months after former chief Ben Moszkowicz was forced to resign after applying to be Honolulu’s chief.

The eight finalists include the department’s current interim chief and assistant chief, along with six candidates from departments outside Hawaii. The commission asked each candidate the same 10 questions, including whether they would allow their department to assist with federal immigration enforcement.

Candidates oppose immigration enforcement role

All candidates said they would not involve the department in federal immigration enforcement, citing concerns about community trust.

“The short answer is I wouldn’t,” said Paul Yang, a retired lieutenant from the San Diego Police Department. “When our diverse community fears that reporting crimes, simple crimes, are seeking, would trigger immigration consequences, we undermine that very foundation of public trust and safety that protects us all.”

Chad Janis, a captain with Yakima, Washington Police Department, said building community relationships is essential.

“The bottom line is, when somebody asks for help, a person in a blue uniform has to show up,” Janis said. “And what is it the scarier thought is when they don’t ask for help. So we have to build a relationship for people know when you call local law enforcement, somebody who’s going to show up. It’s going to be a local police officer.”

Timothy Wilson, former chief of police in Niue, Pacific Islands, said immigrants need equal police protection.

“You cannot create a situation like we see in some places where immigrants are afraid to call the police,” Wilson said. “Immigrants need just as much police service and protection as anybody else on this island.”

Assistant Chief Kenneth Quiocho emphasized the human impact of policing decisions.

“We need to humanize what we do as a police agency, and we need to remember that what we do and how we do it affects everybody,” Quiocho said. “And there are tragic examples of that taking place across this country. And I do not want to see the Big Island be like that.”

John Matagi, a captain with Washington State Patrol, said community trust is crucial for crime prevention.

“When we as a police department have a community that can’t trust us, that means they can’t report crimes,” Matagi said. “That means they can’t prevent themselves or their families from becoming victims. And so we need to ensure that they understand and have access to all police services, regardless of their status.”

Anthony Kumamaru, a retired lieutenant from Las Vegas Department of Public Safety, said he would be reluctant to engage in federal enforcement unless advised otherwise by commission leadership.

“Where this gets cloudy is, if something becomes anarchy, and if if it is something that would harm our citizens, then it’s something that we would have to get involved in to protect the citizenry,” Kumamaru said. “But as far as getting into the federal side of it, it would be my, unless I was advised otherwise by the commission, county leadership, or the legal team, I would be very, very reluctant to engage ourselves in something that’s outside the scope of our primary jurisdiction.”

Watch responses from Matagi and Kumamaru:

Jennifer Krauss, assistant chief with Cheverly, Maryland, Police Department, said she would not allow the agency to be involved in immigration enforcement.

“Under no circumstances would I allow this agency to be involved in what is going on nationwide,” Krauss said. “Immigration enforcement is a civil violation that the federal government chooses to enforce. Local law enforcement is busy.”

Interim chief Reed Mahuna said community outreach is key to addressing immigration concerns.

“It’s not just saying we’re not going to do it, but it’s being out there, being out there in the community, meeting with people, making sure that they hear from you, that that is what your intentions are,” Mahuna said. “Because I think the big part of it is it’s not only the reality of what’s going on, it’s the fear that it creates in our community.”

Watch responses from Krauss and Mahuna:

The commission is scheduled to meet again Friday and could make a job offer to one of the candidates.

Meanwhile, the Honolulu Police Department has been without a permanent chief for six months, and the Honolulu Commission says its selection process could still take another five or six months.