Council Confirms Two New Honolulu Police Commission Members
Jerry Gibson and Karen Chang will join the seven-member panel that oversees the embattled police department.
The Honolulu City Council unanimously confirmed the nominations of聽Jerry Gibson and Karen Chang to the Honolulu Police Commission on Wednesday.
The seven-member commission is charged with overseeing the聽.
Gibson and Chang will join the commission聽amid a corruption scandal involving former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine Kealoha,聽a high-ranking deputy prosecuting attorney for the city.
On Oct. 19, the Kealohas were arrested by the FBI and indicted on 20 counts including criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice and bank fraud.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell nominated Gibson and Change to replace former commissioners聽Marc Tilker and Luella Costales.
Both new commissioners have backgrounds in business and neither has direct experience in law or the criminal justice system.
Chang is a former executive with American Express Co. and Charles Schwab & Co., two national financial service firms. She currently serves as the board chair of , the state’s largest health care provider that operates Kapiolani, Pali Momi, Straub and Wilcox medical centers and smaller facilities.
is area vice president for hotels in Hawaii.
The commission is responsible for investigating charges brought against the department or any of its members.
In January, the commission agreed to聽pay Louis Kealoha聽$250,000 as part of a retirement deal. Kealoha must pay back the money if he is convicted of a felony.
The commission’s duties also include聽adopting and reviewing rules governing the department, reviewing the annual budget submitted by the police chief and submitting an annual report to the mayor and City Council.
Caldwell must soon replace two more commissioners,聽Cha Thompson and Eddie Flores Jr., whose terms will expire this year.
