Today I resigned from the Honolulu Police Commission. It was never my intention to stay forever, just as long as my particular skill set was needed. Today it’s time to pass the torch to others who will bring fresh imagination, bold creativity and ethical conscience to this vitally important institution.

Over the past four years, I’ve witnessed the difference public oversight makes. It takes a fair amount of energy and commitment to track government activities, but when ordinary folks are willing to question authority out in the open, power is restored to whom it truly belongs — to the people. This balance of power is crucial to our democracy.

Oversight and the accountability that it brings isn’t an event, but a necessary and ongoing process. We don’t live in a movie where the bad guys are caught and the story ends. Oversight demands that we continue to question and sometimes challenge those in authority. As citizens, we must always be in search of a more perfect union.

I understand the unique challenges that public servants face. It’s difficult to withstand public scrutiny of one’s actions and words. But that’s the job. When every penny of your salary, vacation, sick leave, benefits and retirement is paid by the public, you don’t get to ignore their questions. You don’t get to feel annoyed when your decisions, actions or inactions are challenged. What’s required in the face of criticism is an honest reflection as to what piece of the criticism, if any, you need to own, and how you could have done better.

Some in government view open critical thinking as conflict. An act of disloyalty. An unpleasantness best avoided. It is not. Public access to information and the ability to dissent is the cornerstone of our process of governance. Our Legislature, when it passed Hawaii’s “Sunshine Law,” pointed out exactly why open critical thinking and dialogue are so important:

“In a democracy, the people are vested with the ultimate decision- making power. Governmental agencies exist to aid the people in the formation and conduct of public policy. Opening up the governmental processes to public scrutiny and participation is the only viable and reasonable method of protecting the public’s interest.”

As I step away from the Police Commission, I am proud of the work we did to open our processes to the public. We looked closely at our rules and found that some of them were, in fact, illegal. We amended those rules and changed our procedures to require hearings to be conducted in the open. We developed guidelines under which the chief of police must self-report complaints directed against the chief, and we created a roadmap by which to investigate. We challenged the status quo and established the expectation of transparency.

As I transition to other opportunities, I will sincerely miss my interaction with my colleagues on the Commission. Although we sparred, disagreed and debated — sometimes heatedly — they are a committed group of community activists who have the best interests of the Honolulu Police Department and its relationship with our community at heart.

I wish them well.