Just weeks before the Honolulu Police Commission is scheduled to pick a new police chief, one of its members resigned abruptly Monday, citing her opposition to the selection process.
The resignation of Luella Costales, a commissioner since 2012, leaves the seven- member panel two members short of a full complement.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell has not appointed anyone to replace Marc Tilker, who resigned for personal reasons in May. Costales herself was a holdover from 2016 who was asked by Caldwell to continue until a replacement could be selected.
Four votes are needed to make a decision, so the two vacancies mean it will take only two of the commissioners to derail any decision- making, including the selection of a new chief.
The volunteer commission will meet Thursday to select its finalists for chief from a group of nine semifinalists that is gathering today and Wednesday for further testing and interviews.
Costales, in her letter, said she was bothered by the lack of diversity among the four people chosen to score the initial essay exam taken by 24 hopefuls in August. All four test scorers, who were chosen by the commission’s paid consultant, EB Jacobs, are Caucasian males from the mainland and former police chiefs.
“The scoring panel lacks diversity in basic key areas, including gender, profession, residence, and cultural and ethnic background,” Costales’ resignation letter said. “As one who has spent decades advocating for diversity and equity in representation, and whose commission appointment was supported by community members who share in these values, I hope you can understand why I have chosen not to continue to be a part of the selection process.”
Costales has consistently stressed the need to hear from all segments of the community before the commission picks a chief. Costales is director of development for the nonprofit Kupu, which promotes sustainability and community responsibility for youth.
Commission Chairman Max Sword, in a statement, said he was disappointed by Costales’ decision but respected it.
“The next phase (of the selection process) will include interviews with a diverse local panel made up of men and women in law enforcement,” Sword said. “They will rank the current nine remaining candidates.”
Sword said he expects a selection to be made by the end of October.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
