POLICE CHIEFS CALL FOR TOUGHER LAWS, IMPROVED PAY

HONOLULU (AP)- Police officers being threatened, assaulted or shot at were
almost unheard of when Charles Chai joined the Hawaii County Police
Department 27 years ago.

''Today, we have suspects racing away at high speed. We have them shooting
at policemen. We have them bumping into the policeman's car trying to run
them over,'' said Chai, now an assistant police chief on the Big Island.

''They're just more violent. A lot of them are intoxicated on some kind of
drug,'' he said. ''That's what makes the police job more unsafe today.''

In the aftermath of the killing of a Honolulu police officer, Hawaii's four
county police chiefs are again calling for tougher laws against career
criminals.

They also want more resources to battle the growing crystal methamphetamine
problem and better pay for officers who work in an increasingly violent
society -- some of the issues they'll address during a scheduled meeting
Tuesday with Gov. Linda Lingle at the State Capitol.

The shooting death of Honolulu Police Officer Glen Gaspar inside a West Oahu
ice cream parlor last week was a jolting reminder of the risks officers face
every day and the need for stiffer penalties for repeat felons, police
officials said.

''In every seemingly innocent situation you go into, it can turn ugly real
quick,'' said Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips. ''When that guy came into
that store and if he pulled a gun, everybody else can run. Policemen can't
run. They have to run to the danger and they know when they do that, they're
putting their lives on the line.''

The man charged with first-degree murder in Gaspar's slaying, 28-year-old
Shane Mark, had 14 prior convictions, including four felonies. He was
released from prison in November. Preliminary tests revealed Mark was under
the influence of several illegal drugs, including crystal methamphetamine,
or ''ice,'' at the time of the shooting.

''There's certain people that shouldn't be out in the community,'' Phillips
said. ''What people fear is loading up our prisons, and it's expensive, but
we spend a lot more money when they're out in the community -- in terms of
the number of crimes they commit and the damage they do to the community. We
pay too much for that.''

Lingle said Gaspar's death demonstrates how serious the drug problem is in
the islands.

''Drugs are affecting people every single day, not always as dramatically as
this, but it's affecting families all across the state,'' she said.

Hawaii's drug problem isn't limited to the cities.

''I am aware of reports that show that even in quiet, peaceful Kauai, the
drug situation is increasing and getting worse,'' said Kauai Police Chief
George Freitas Jr.

After Gaspar's death, Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue immediately called
for a ''three-strikes'' law to give repeat criminals long prison terms.

''I think it's time for the community to take a tougher stand on felons who
continue to commit crimes,'' he said. ''Other states have the 'three strikes
and you're out.' I would be in support of that.''

Donohue also noted that drugs are ''fueling the crime here.''

While Lingle said she had some reservations about a three-strike measure,
she supports serious penalties for repeat offenders.

''A society is built upon giving people an opportunity to change, giving
people an opportunity to make restitution to serve their time and then get
on with their life,'' she said. ''But if someone is proving over time that
they are a habitual criminal with no respect for anyone else in the
community I think they should be dealt with harshly, more harshly than
someone who's a one-time criminal.''

On Maui, as across the state, it's usually the same group of suspects who
account for most of the crime, Phillips said.

''It's the same people over, over and over that we arrest for burglary,
theft and violent crimes,'' he said. ''They get lengthy sentences, but they
get paroled and they're back on the streets within a couple years. It's very
frustrating.''

Chai said he understands that the state is in an economic bind and the
prisons are already overcrowded. But he says more prison facilities,
counseling and treatment are desperately needed.

''When these guys go to jail, these programs are not available to them,'' he
said. ''We know they come out more violent. We know that it's a violent
world within the prison system. When you put a lot of angry people together
with others with bad criminal histories, it's just going to compound the
problem.''

Freitas said Hawaii is ''significantly softer'' on criminals compared to the
Mainland and needs to takes a ''harder approach'' to fighting crime.

''Although I respect and understand our rights to maintain everyone's civil
rights, it is time for this state to enter into a serious dialogue about the
very liberal position it takes in terms of criminal law and the criminal
justice system when compared with the rest of the nation,'' he said.

Freitas isn't sure whether a three-strikes law is the answer, but he says a
line of communication needs to be opened.

''Somebody just told me that Hawaii may be the only state that has a '15
strikes and you're out law,' '' he said.

Freitas said the first concern he'll address with Lingle is higher pay to
recruit and retain officers. All four departments have expressed the need
for higher pay.

''The thing slowing down all our efforts is that we cannot get a sufficient
quantity of quality officers,'' Freitas said. ''Our vacancy factor is
killing us.''