The following internal document was prepared by the Honolulu Police Commission as it negotiated for the retirement of Chief Kealoha.  It was released into the public domain by Commissioner Sheehan when she read it into the record at a Honolulu Police Commission meeting January 19, 2017.

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Chief Louis Kealoha

Honolulu Police Department

Re: Statement of Reasons for Potential Removal

Dear Chief Kealoha:       January 18, 2017

This letter gives you the statement of reasons for potential removal and an opportunity for a hearing under Section 6-1603(2), Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu.

Generally, the reasons involve your failure to demonstrate the leadership and managerial qualities essential to the position of Chief of Police, including failure to investigate, correct and prevent misconduct by officers you supervise. Specifically, the reasons involve the following:

• the state of officer morale at the Honolulu Police Department,

• your testimony regarding Gerard Puana which caused a mistrial in Cr. No. 13-000375 LEK,

• your decision to promote Major Ryan Borges to the position of Assistant Chief,

• your response to HPD officer actions taken against Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero,

• your response to HPD officer actions taken against John Helm and Jonah Wellins,

• your response to HPD officer actions taken against Cassandra Bennett-Bagorio, Sherman Dean Dow kin and Federico Delgadillo Martinez,

• your response to allegations of excessive force by Officer Ming Wang,

• your decision to recommend Deputy Chief Marie McCauley for the 2015 FBI Leadership Academy,

• your candor with the Police Commission during meetings,

• your response to the 2015 Domestic Violence Task Force recommendations,

• your response to the need for cybercrime training and forensic computer training at the Police Academy.

We will conduct the hearing on March 3, 2017 at the Office of the Police Commission, unless good faith for delay reasons exist, such as the need to collect evidence, by either side.

In that regard, we will issue a subpoena under Section 6-1606( e), Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu, requiring production of complete un-redacted copies of the following:

1. Any surveys, including those conducted by The Bennet Group, which included topics of officer morale

2. The personnel file of Major Borges

3. PSO investigation(s) of Major Borges

4. ARB investigation(s) of Major Borges

5. Documents used in the evaluation of Major Borges by the Chief of Police when considering the promotion of Major Borges

6. Police reports listing Major Borges as a witness, complainant, victim, or suspect and police reports associated with such report(s)

7. TROs or ROs in which Major Borges is named

8. The personnel file of former HPD Officer Bobby Harrison

9. PSO investigation(s) of Officer Bobby Harrison

10. ARB investigation(s) of Officer Bobby Harrison

11. Police reports documenting incident, detention, arrest and subsequent detention of Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero, starting on or about March 3, 2015

12. Police reports concerning John Helm and Jonah Wellins

13. PSO investigation(s) of each officer involved in the arrests of John Helm and Jonah Wellins on or about February 29, 2012

14. ARB investigation(s) of each officer involved in the arrests of John Helm and Jonah Wellins

15. Personnel files of each officer investigated by the PSO concerning John Helm and Jonah Wellins

16. Documentation of the communication, prior to detention, that Helm and Wellins were not suspects

17. PSO investigation(s) into the allegations of racial discrimination made by former Officer Federico Delgadillo Martinez, Jr.

18. PSO investigation(s) into the allegations of civil rights violations by former officer Cassandra Bennett-Bagorio, now Huihui

19. ARB investigation( s) into the allegations of racial discrimination made by Sgt. Shermon Dowkin

20. ARB investigation(s) into the allegations of racial discrimination made by former Officer Federico Delgadillo Martinez, Jr.

21. ARB investigation(s) into the allegations of civil rights violations by former officer Cassandra Bennett-Bagorio, now Huihui

22. Personnel files of Dan Kwon, Wayne Fernandez, Wayne Serrao, and William Axt

23. Any Human Resources Department opinion, memorandum, letter, or document expressing opinion as to the potential to discipline HPD officer( s) for allegations made by former HPD officer Cassandra Bennett-Bagorio, Sgt. Shermon Dean Dowkin and former Officer Federico Delgadillo Martinez

24. PSO investigation( s) of Officer Ming Wang, to include investigations of abuse of family and household member on or about 2009, and excessive force on or about 2014

25. Personnel file of Ming Wang

26. Any documents, to include applications, approvals, notifications of attendance, approvals of payments, any payments, course materials, criteria for attendance, criteria for attendance, regarding Marie McCauley's 2015 attendance at FBI Leadership Academy, and a copy of Marie McCauley's Travel Evaluation Report submitted under Policy 2.51.

27. Any communications to or from the Office of the Chief of Police regarding HPD's participation and response to the 2015 Domestic Violence Task Force recommendations

28. Syllabus and training materials used and/or provided at the Police Academy regarding the investigation of cybercrimes and training in forensic computer analysis.

Questions can be directed to Executive Director Dan Lawrence at the Office of the Police Commission.

Yours truly,

Honolulu Police Commission

• Max Sword, Chairperson
• Cha Thompson, Vice Chairperson
• Luella T. Costales, Member
• Eddie Flores, Jr. Member
• Steven Levinson, Member
• Loretta A. Sheehan, Member
• Marc C. Tilker, Member

PDF: Original Letter