DRUGS AND KAUA'I

There has been a lot of posturing regarding a "war" against drugs on Kaua'i,
with Mayor Bryan Baptiste leading the effort. An islandwide anti-drug
coalition is in its initial states of formation, and the new head of the
coalition has been selected.

This week a Kaua'i police officer filed a law suit in federal court in
Honolulu that is providing the first big test of the mayor's pledge to
combat the sale and use of illicit drugs on Kaua'i.

Accusations of ties to drug dealing within the Kaua'i Police Department are
in the law suit. While that information is just that for now-accusations-the
mayor has announced he has asked the FBI to investigate the allegations.

It has also been determined that a complaint by the police officer filing
the law suit has been put on hold in the county prosecutor's office since
the middle of last year.

The mayor released a press statement Friday reasserting that he is committed
to fighting the Island's drug problem, and correctly saying that none of the
accusations against the KPD in the federal law suit should be taken as fact
until they have been investigated, and if necessary, prosecuted, and
convictions made in court.

Members of the Kauai Police Commission haven't yet fully respond to
questions from reporters from The Garden Island regarding this law suit,
which also involves accusations of inaction against our police chief. That
is to be expected as the law suit was released late in the week, and to
speak officially in depth would be jumping the gun for the commissioners.

However, within the next five days a definite plan of action on this case
needs to be taken and made clear to the public by the mayor and by the
police commissioners.

Unanswered questions include why the police commission hasn't made this an
issue already-have they not been notified of this case by the county
prosecutors?

If this is a frivolous case the public needs to know that sooner than later,
for such allegations erode public confidence in local law enforcement.
However, if the FBI finds this isn't a frivolous suit, an expedited
investigation, with frequent updates to the public, needs to be undertaken.