Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa has escalated his personal war against rank-and-file members of the department and the officers Union with a preemptive strike intended to cripple any chance of having a Police Officers’ Bill of Rights enacted into law in Hawaii.
Since being appointed as head of HPD this chief has been under constant criticisms from within and outside of the department as well as being accused of being in ethical conflict.
In the past two weeks he has been entrenched under a barrage of accusations by rank-and-file police officers as retaliating against them by taking away the vastly popular 3/12 work schedule. This retaliatory action on the part of the chief came about because of their participation in a SHOPO survey, which was critical of him and his administration.
It is no secret that Chief Correa strongly opposes any type of Police Officers’ Bill of Rights. This type of legislation provides police officers with basic procedural rights (which are not presently available to them) in administrative, non-criminal complaints and investigations.
The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights does not provide police officers any additional rights not afforded to the general public; on the contrary, it only gives police officers the same basic constitutional rights enjoyed by society but denied to them solely because of their occupation.
Nationwide, approximately 40 states have this type of legislation in one form or another and the only opposition against The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights has only come by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and who do you think they represent, police administrators.
Why the strong opposition against this bill by Chief Correa? The answer is plain and simple, The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights holds individuals, (police administrators, executives, etc.) and not the taxpayers liable for the malicious actions or acts on their part. In other words this bill places accountability on police administrators, an accountability they presently don