10-19-2017, 04:32 AM
Joe, I have one close friend and several acquaintances who are local cops. They tell me that the total numbers of police personnel on the Big Island are not too far off the national averages and would be adequate in a well-run force. It is the allocation and use of those personnel where we come up short. A top-heavy and bureaucratic police administration takes a toll on available patrol and enforcement resources. In addition to that, administrative and union imposed work rules further impede effective policing. These guys also tell me that the widely perceived belief that certain individuals and families get a "pass" on certain types of enforcement and/or prosecution is not unfounded. And finally, they all say that good cops who make solid arrests are often dismayed by the easy-going approach of the County Prosecutor's office and judges.