Dealing with Rude Honolulu Police Officers

I just encountered an incredibly rude and condescending police officer while trying to parallel-park tonight. I slightly bumped the car behind me, but there was no damage - the officer even confirmed there was no damage. He yelled at me the entire time and made me feel two inches tall, and all the while, I remained calm, speaking respectfully. Of course, he wrote me up, which is fine. But his attitude and venomous tone were not commensurate with the incident.

What are your experiences with Honolulu Police Officers?

Generally speaking, I've had nothing but good experiences except for this one bad apple. His behavior was certainly not congruent with the Respect and Fairness principles outlined in the HPD Mission Statement. I've already written a letter describing the details of the interaction and plan to send it to the top brass on the force. I'm not certain how effective this will be or if they will turn a deaf ear.

Have any of who experienced poor treatment by an officer and ever reported it to the HPD? What became of your efforts?

Comments

Ai. I'm sorry to hear about your awful HPD experience. I've worked with some great cops, but also a few "power trip" incidents that were more than humiliating - they were frightening. Kudos for writing the letter.

However impotent I might feel, I always make sure I at least make it through the "complaint letter" stage. After a few drafts, angry and frustrated babbling turns into a very articulate explanation as to how the situation is bad for the company or agency. It's good for my heart, at least, if not for the recipient.

I've written more than a few relating to bad service, but definitely one for a belligerent police officer. I'd witnessed a sideswipe accident on my street, and when the police arrived, I asked if I could help with information. He was more than rude - he was angry that I might represent another piece of paper to handle. He moved toward me so menacingly I almost yelped. After I retreated into my building, he swore at me and stomped away. Fortunately I got his name and his blue-and-white plate number.

I have no idea if my letter got anywhere. I do know that they're supposed to log, if not act on, all such reports... but who knows how much stuff gets conveniently "lost." But I've seen enough success in other cases - at one point, getting a potentially criminally negligent hospital lab tech "reassigned" - to not give up hope.

I'd complain to the Honolulu Police Commission. It's their kuleana to investigate such complaints. Check the city website or HPD website.

I've had two encounters with a police officer and one with a military police officer.

Both HPD incidents [one for a "my bad" and one for directions (yes, I was lost and admitted it :P)] were pleasant and professional. However, the MP takes the cake. He was uber respectful and professional and I actually felt bad for him having to stop me (I was going a little too fast at the Kaneohe Marine Corps base).

My cousin has had some bad experiences with HPD though, so I guess I had "luck of the draw."

Sorry to hear you got a PMS (Punkazz Machismo Syndrome) sufferring officer, Ruth. Hope it didn't ruin your day/night too badly.

Thanks for the insights! It was poor luck of draw for me indeed.

I was pretty shaken after speaking with the officer. I just got off the phone with the officer's captain. The two options I had were to have the captain speak to the officer directly or have Internal Affairs launch a more formal proceeding. I opted for the former, and the captain said he'd speak to the officer. I'm only quasi-convinced that this reprimand will get very far. I guess what I did was better than doing nothing at all.

About the MP story - that's impressive.

More information about filing complaints with HPD at this link.

Ruth,

Your letter should go to the newspapers, seriously. Just copy your post from above and send it to them.

I bet they run it.

Aloha,
Blaine

Hey Blaine,

Thanks - I was thinking about doing several things, including writing a LTE. After having spoken to the Officer's captain (in Makiki), I'm holding off on further actions. Hopefully, this complaint is logged and that officer dealt with in some way.

I guess I have, unfortunately, more recent direct experience than any of the contributors to Hawaii Stories, since I spent the last night in jail.

Well, not officially "jail", but a "holding cell". This was for the heinous crime of drinking beer in Ala Moana Beach park.

The two officers who arrested my friend and I were not offensive, nor were any of the other ones I met through the not-very-pleasant first night of the Year of the Monkey.

I have encountered some who were, excuse the language, "assholes", but I think most of them are decent people doing a lousy job for not enough pay.

Now, if you get that kind of testimonial from a man who spent the previous might in jail .... :)

While living there, I had been cut more slack by HPD than in any other place since. Now that I live on the East Coast, I've seen some seriously aggro (New York) and downright scary (D.C.) police departments.

When I was a younger man, I've been cut slack for:

1) Drinking in public (sorry Albert)
2) Speeding
3) Open container (remember, my YOUNGER YEARS) in the car

If any of that went down in D.C., God help me.

J

JB,
The Officers in D.C. are not your typical state troopers. They are a federal orginization called the Park Police. They go through training at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) in Georgia. The same place the FBI gets their training.
Dealing with them is not the same thing as officers in other locations.

As for the HPD. The one time I have had to speak with them, they were very professional and friendly. But there is always at least one bad egg in every group.

Oh man, this reminds me. Recently, I got my car towed because some cop mistakenly believed that a stretch of the curb clearly devoid of any Tow Away signage, was a Tow Away Zone. Fortunately, I fought and won the case, but not without a lot of humbug. They ran me in circles before I got the papers to get my refund for paying the tow truck fee.

testing this form.......

Aloha! I know this is really late in regards to your POST but I just saw it on the front page of Hawaii Stories under the heading new questions. Ok,like everything else in LIFE there are the good and the bad. My experiences with HPD Police Officers have been positive. However, I have seen with my own eyes some really bad apples who unfortunately make the others look bad too. I'm glad you made a report cause the top brass do listen and they have a review board who atends to the matters and decides the fate of the officer in question. Nobody is above the LAW. Glad to say that eventually all BAD COPS get found out and are either kicked out or quit in fear of going to jail themselves. Still, on another note...everybody has a bad day and you may have been the innocent woman who remided him of his wife.hehehe

I was on a police ride along and I thought that the Waikiki Police Officers were very nice. I rode with Officer Al Macaibay and he was friendly and kind.

Sorry that all of you had bad experiences, but in most jobs you have that kind of people no matter what job they have. It is the person not the job that is like that so you got to understand that some times you can do something and sometimes you just have to ignore because people are like that no matter what job they have.

He wrote you up? For what? There was no damage? If the Judge doesn't dismiss this one I'm going to riot.
File a complaint. Fight back. The Officer may have a history of abuse.

I was in town in April 2005. Granted, I'm not a local, but my sister is. While at "Moose's" bar, I was taking off my wedding rings to alleviate the humidity, and I was knocked off a bar stool by some guy. My $15,000 engagement disappeared, although I was able to grab my wedding band. I asked the bar to call 911; apparently this was a big mistake. The "officers" who responded were not only rude, but were downright condescending and actually laughing at my concern. There was no investigation, and those "officers" did nothing to assist me. They just got a good laugh. Although this happened 2 years ago, it still rubs me raw. I'm actually thinking of filing a civil suit against them and, possibly, the bar. I'm an attorney, but I'm not licensed in Hawaii. Can anyone give me feedback on your experience with matters involving lawsuits against the city of Honolulu/Waikiki and particular officers? I'm not as interested in the money as in having those particular men removed from the force. They are, in my opinion, a disgrace to police forces in general and their own department in particular.
Thanks for hearing me out.

Post a Comment