STAND. COM. REP. NO 245

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 677

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 677 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide the Mayor of each county with the authority to remove the respective county Chief of Police for good and just cause.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, IMUAlliance, and three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from three individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the public's trust in the county police departments must be restored.  Implementation of this measure will encourage greater accountability within each of the county police departments and strengthen the public's trust in law enforcement.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the Mayor of each county to have the approval of the Police Commission in order to remove the respective county Chief of Police for good and just cause.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 677, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 677, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair