Honolulu Police Commission member Michael Broderick will not seek re-appointment when his term ends in December, and he has asked Mayor Rick Blangiardi to replace him with a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander to further diversify the panel that reviews Honolulu Police Department rules and regulations, appoints the chief and investigates complaints of police misconduct.
In a commentary published today in the Honolulu Star- Advertiser, Broderick, a past president and CEO of the YMCA of Honolulu and former family court judge who handled more than 10,000 cases, said that no Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian serves on the commission even though those communities make up as much as 26% of the state’s population.
“Equally troubling, a disproportionate number of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians are subjected to use of force and arrest, and are overrepresented in our criminal justice system,” he wrote. “It is time for our institutions of power, including the Honolulu Police Commission, to better reflect the various perspectives of our diverse community. The result will be more informed, and more just, decisions.”
Broderick was appointed to the commission by former Mayor Kirk Caldwell in August 2020 to complete a term that ends Dec. 31.
Blangiardi told the Star- Advertiser Saturday that he has known and respected Broderick for a long time and that he did a “solid job” serving on the Police Commission. The mayor said he has heard from people pushing for more diversity on the panel, and he will consider all qualified candidates.
“It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and commitment to serve on the Police Commission,” Blangiardi said.
The mayor appoints the seven- member commission, subject to City Council confirmation. Blangiardi went 1 for 3 in his first opportunity to fill a vacancy on the panel earlier this year, when his first two nominees withdrew after questions about their qualifications and comprehension of Hawaii’s racial disparities were raised by the public and lawmakers. His third pick, retired communications executive Ann Botticelli, was confirmed in August.
Joining Broderick and Botticelli on the panel are former Attorney General Doug Chin; University of Hawaii general counsel Carrie K.S. Okinaga; retired business executive Richard Parry; hotel executive Jerry Gibson; and commission Chair Shannon Alivado, manager of government relations for Hawaiian Electric Co.
Broderick described himself as “a privileged, older, white, male who views the world from a certain lens.” He said his perspective is well-represented on a commission that does not work closely with the “marginalized communities that the police frequently interact with.”
Broderick graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 1979 and received his law degree in 1983 from the UCLA School of Law. He served as a family court judge from June 2003 until October 2010.
Pointing to his 20-year friendship with Blangiardi and his role on the mayor’s transition team, Broderick said he deeply respects Blangiardi and knows he “is his own man. So I have no illusions that the mayor will do what I ask. But he promised to at least consider it, and that’s all I can ask.”
Honolulu Police Chief Rade Vanic said Broderick’s experience with the Judiciary and nonprofit sector added value to the commission.
“In the time that I had to work with him, he was always supportive of the department. Of course there were times he asked tough questions, but that was his job. He always had the community and the department in mind,” Vanic said. “It was obvious and apparent that when he asked his questions, he had a lot of history and background and understood his role.”
Vanic said diversity is always a good thing but race should not “be a limiting factor or prerequisite.”
“I don’t think a good candidate should be disqualified because of a certain race,” he said.
Vanic suggested the next nominee, and any commissioner who is interested, participate in the Citizens Police Academy or seek experiences to help them learn more about the officers and the department.
In February, HPD presented use-of-force data to the commission that revealed Native Hawaiians / Pacific Islanders were involved in 34.5% of the total force incidents and accounted for 38% of arrests in 2019, even though they make up roughly one-quarter of the population on Oahu, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
HPD told the Star- Advertiser in February that seven of the eight officer- involved fatalities in 2019 were either Native Hawaiian, part-Hawaiian or Samoan.
After hearing the report, Broderick said he had “very serious concerns” about the use-of-force impacts on Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Blacks. He questioned why a breakdown of the race, age and gender of officers involved in force incidents was not provided in the report, as recommended in a September executive summary on HPD’s use of force.
Broderick said the summary also recommended that information on officers’ race be integrated into HPD’s records management system. Then-Chief Susan Ballard assured commissioners that HPD’s new records management system, scheduled for completion by the end of 2021, would integrate the information.
Alivado said more representation of diverse views would be welcome on the Police Commission. She also said she is sad to lose Broderick but respects his decision.
“He has been a great contributor to discussions at the Police Commission and has brought very insightful and thoughtful discussions to the table,” Alivado said.
Broderick’s departure would temporarily leave the commission with only six members and a potential deadlock in selecting a new police chief. Commissioners are awaiting the hiring of a consultant to go through the applicants and pick finalists for the commission and the public to consider.
“We were hoping he would be part of the next chief selection but understand the reasons he has expressed. We look forward to continuing to work with commissioner Broderick through the end of the year,” Alivado said.
Honolulu City Council Chairman Tommy Waters said he was grateful for Broderick’s leadership and service to the city.
“It’s critical to honor Judge Broderick’s desire by appointing someone who can provide representation and perspective from communities that have been historically marginalized,” Waters said.
