In the Name of the Law: What the Public Isn’t Being Told About Police Misconduct

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2. Part #3

State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers members attend an election event for Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
Nathan Eagle/Honolulu Civil Beat
In the Name of the Law: Hawaii Police Union 'Outguns' Students
By Nick Grube 02/27/2013

Part 3 of a 5-part series

Even before Hawaii Circuit Court Judge John Lim unequivocally championed the public interest in police disciplinary actions and ruled against the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, SHOPO had a Plan B — get the Legislature to do what the courts would not.

SHOPO had reason to believe this would work — and it did. Hawaii is a union-friendly state, and the police had recently convinced lawmakers to narrow public disclosure of misconduct to officers whose transgressions occurred while they were on-duty.

Cops are different from other people, the union argued. Stress and high-pressure situations force snap decisions that sometimes result in a mistake, and officers and their families shouldn’t be publicly humiliated in addition to whatever discipline the department hands down, SHOPO said.

In 1995, the Legislature voted overwhelmingly in SHOPO's favor. Police disciplinary records would be off limits to the public, but the county police agencies would have to file annual summaries with the Legislature so lawmakers could be assured serious misconduct was being dealt with effectively.

More: http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/02/27/18395-in-the-name-of-the-law-hawaii-police-union-outguns-students/