LIHUE, Hawaii — Kauai police officers are the first in the state wearing body cameras as a dispute lingers over whether the union should have gotten final say on the policy.
LIHUE, Hawaii — Kauai police officers are the first in the state wearing body cameras as a dispute lingers over whether the union should have gotten final say on the policy.
The Garden Island reports the Kauai Police Department’s 90 patrol units started wearing cameras on patrol Wednesday, after months of negotiating between the department and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers.
Union president Tenari Maafala says the group should have final say on policies that could impact officer discipline. The dispute centers on contract wording, the difference between “mutual consent” and “meet and confer.”
“First and foremost, we have always been in support of the body cams,” Maafala said. “The policy was never the problem. We’re fine with the policy. We agreed to it.”
Chief Darryl Perry says the union blocked and delayed the implementation of the cameras.
“There was no problem with other technologies,” Perry said. “But with cameras, SHOPO said it has to be mutual consent.”
County spokeswoman Sarah Blane said last week that it is still possible for the union to file a labor board complaint. Maafala said the complaint is standard practice.
The complaint would not impact the department’s camera use.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s at this juncture,” he said “I respect Chief Perry. But he’s the only chief of police that has chosen to take this route. I don’t know if it’s because he wants this to be his legacy.”