Police accountability is a win-win for all
Mahalo to the state Legislature and governor for passing Act 190. This legislation is in response to a nationwide plea that police officers be better-trained and that better public oversight regarding use of force is insured.
It was astonishing that the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers’ president seemed to not know that taxpayers pay his officers’ and administrators’ salaries and that the police are not and should not be their own private army, nor act without being unaccountable to the public.
Our nation’s forebears gave us parameters to help protect our democracy and people from renegade “police” who can add misery and chaos in countries where they go unchecked.
It was also discouraging to hear the rote, divisive language the SHOPO chief used to berate the public and government officials who would actually love to trust every police officer, their methods and their departments. Hawaii’s police departments exist under the executive branch of county governments, while their specific actions and purpose are determined by laws enacted on behalf of “We the People.”
Many citizens long to feel justifiably proud of their police force, yet the reality is that policing is under more scrutiny because of tragic and often avoidable mistakes made by officers in the heat of challenging moments.
Modern technology can help officers and the public get a better grasp of how and when force is being used and give the public a better window into the dangerous jobs officers do, and the (sometimes fatal) attempts they make to insure our state’s most important, safety-based laws are followed.
Adding sunshine to the process can help solidify the partnerships necessary to keep our society safe in ways the public can trust with accountability that can’t hurt the good job SHOPO says their officers are already doing. So, why all the fuss?
Janice Palma-Glennie
Kailua-Kona
Wasting tax dollars far away from home
Of course, I grieve the recent loss of three soldiers in Jordan, which President Biden will use as an excuse to expand our Middle East military involvement.
I also grieve for the 58,000 Americans whose names are listed on The Wall That Heals that was brought to Hilo.
For what did all of these brave men and women die? For nothing!
Why does the U.S. maintain military bases in Jordan, Syria, Iraq and in about 80 other countries around the world? Why does the U.S. spend more on the military than on critical needs back at home?
A strong, well-trained military to defend America is of course vital, but why are our tax dollars being spent on military adventures far away when those funds are badly needed at home — for education, health care and infrastructure improvement?
The Roman Empire fell because it wasted its resources on foreign military adventures and let its society rot at home. Will we learn nothing from history?
John Lockwood
Hilo