The Star-Advertiser editorialized Saturday against the failure of Kauai County officials to provide any information about the reasons for the sudden suspensions of the police chief and two assistant chiefs. Unfortunately, the editorial sits behind the newspaper’s pay wall.
(Mayor Bernard) Carvalho placed Chief Darryl Perry on leave Wednesday, a day after placing Assistant Chiefs Roy Asher and Ale Quibilan on leave. All three were required to turn in their equipment. Carvalho said they would remain on leave until an investigation of allegations is completed but would not say when that would be or whether they will be paid their wages during that period.
Carvalho refused to answer questions by reporters on Thursday, directing them to his communications team. When asked whether that team would answer questions that day, he responded flippantly, “Welcome to Kauai.” The county attorney has advised all county employees to remain silent, and Kauai police officers are telling reporters that they are under orders not to talk.
A reader commented that while the editorial’s criticism of official secrecy is certainly justified, the Star-Advertiser’s lack of independent reporting on this story is equally significant.
He commented: “In other words, their reporting isn’t producing much, so they blame the county’s PR people…weak.”
Hawaii News Now reported the nature of the complaint two days previously:
A source with knowledge of the case said the controversy involves accusations by KPD officer Darla Abbatiello-Higa. She received a $980,000 settlement from the county in a whistleblower protection lawsuit several years ago. The source said she registered a new hostile work environment complaint against Asher in October, then filed a second complaint against Quibilan last month….
According to the source, Perry initially wanted to work from home during the investigation involving the assistant chiefs because Abatiello-Higa also works at the headquarters, and she had accused him of favoring an assistant chief in one of her complaints. However, the source said the mayor told Perry he should remain at work. The source said Perry was then suspended for seven days for disobeying orders by not reporting to the office. After the week-long suspension, he’ll be on paid leave. Carvalho insisted that he has the authority to place the police chief on leave.
KHON cited similar reports from Kauai sources.
A search for Abatiello-Higa’s name on the Star-Advertiser web site produced no results.
The newspapers complaints about the county information policies are justified, but are no substitute for good reporting. On that I agree with the reader.
I’ve always considered Chief Perry one of the “good guys,” and his wife, Solette Perry, a human relations specialist and former UPW business agent, who was one of the few people close to the United Public Workers who stood up in defense of members harassed by the union during the dictatorial reign of former state director, Gary Rodrigues.
Rodrigues is completing his sentence at the federal correctional facility in Taft, California, after conviction on multiple charges stemming from a kickback scheme involving union contracts. He is scheduled for release on or before August 27, 2012.
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You’ve hit it on the head Ian- if the S-A still had neighbor island bureaus- or even stringers- they might have the sources. But you’ll notice there isn’t a dateline on any of the stories. Actually the reporting of Bernard’s “Welcome to Kaua`i” crack was the S-A’s exclusive and is “THE” story here. But, in fairness, this story has been a tough nut to crack, even for those of us with good PD and administration sources. Bernard thinks he’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t because the second complaint was addressed to him. But that doesn’t excuse his selective statements like the “beyond reproach” and revealing why Perry is involved but nothing specific, like any other mayor would do. That’s what caused the source(s) to speak out. The babooze factor in the administration is, as always, astounding.
Chief Perry is, indeed, “one of the good guys,” having served two tours under him here in Honolulu. The mayor has chosen to consider their difference of opinion on handling this situation as rising to the level of “insubordination” justifying suspension and leave of office. Sounds way over the top. The chief is appointed by a commission, not the mayor directly, supposedly to insulate the County’s chief law enforcement officer from direct political influence — or whim in this case! Recently on the TV show “Blue Bloods” Tom Selleck’s character, the NYPD’s Police Commissioner, tells the Mayor “I serve at your pleasure — but not at your bidding.” Whether Mayor Carvalho has the legal authority or not, he has over-reacted and by going around the Commission has diminished its standing going forward. Poor crisis management especially in light of Kauai’s history vis-a-vis police chiefs;
Right on Ian. Darryl Perry is the best of good guys.
Did not know him as a policeman but raced bicycles with him and against him for years. Always a man of class. Something is not pono. Thanks for your reporting.
Get a hold of the Departments “General Orders” they should clearly show the path of authority between the chief and the mayor. It may be in the county charter instead because the Police commission is probably a charter setup. The chief may have not taken something seriously that he should have.
Something smells rotten from Lihue here in Hilo. Clearly the the S-A knows nothing and is shooting in the wind, much as it did on Kona coffee grower concerns earlier in the week.
If the hybrid is going to be a Honolulu-only newspaper (as it clearly has evolved) it should dummy up on editorializing about NIsle matters. We are back to the 1902s or 1930s in newspapering in Hawaii.
Checks and balances died in June 2010.
Don’t think the SA even has a stringer on Kauai anymore.
Dear Bad,
Nor anywhere else in state from Hilo to Wailuku to Lihue.