Pubdate: Thu, 13 Nov 2008
Source: West Hawaii Today (HI)
Copyright: 2008 West Hawaii Today
Contact: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/contact_us/letters/
Website: http://westhawaiitoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/644
Author: Jim Quirk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?246 (Policing - United States - News)

POLICE CHIEF'S COMMENTS NET COMPLAINT

HILO -- A complaint was filed Wednesday with the Hawaii County Police
Commission against Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna regarding his recent
comments about the voter-approved marijuana initiative.

Roger Christie, pastor of the THC Cannabis Ministry in Hilo, said
Wednesday he filed the complaint because of comments Mahuna made in
two Nov. 7 newspaper articles.

The initiative, which was approved by voters in the Nov. 4 election,
made marijuana enforcement the lowest police priority when it's
intended for adult personal use.

Mahuna stated in the articles that nothing will change in how the
Police Department deals with marijuana enforcement.

Christie complains that Mahuna's views go against commission
regulations that require officers and employees to "observe and obey
all federal and state laws (and) ordinances of the county."

Although Mahuna views the initiative as a resolution and not law,
Christie said it is an ordinance.

The complaint also states that some of Mahuna's other comments, such
as people who are pro-marijuana are "automatically pro-terrorist" were
"over the line of common sense."

Mahuna said Wednesday that some people misunderstood his
comments.

He said the county didn't need a new ordinance to make the private
adult use of marijuana a low priority because it already is.

Mahuna, who is to retire Dec. 31, said the department is, for the most
part, interested in the big commercial growers and the dealers selling
pot to juveniles.

"We're not going to do something to somebody who's smoking a couple of
joints per night," he said. "If a guy grows a couple of plants, and
smokes it in his house, how the heck are we going to know?"

Deputy Corporation Counsel Brandon Gonzalez said his office hadn't yet
reviewed the complaint and could not comment on it.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin