Police chief finalists explain their reasons for seeking role
Candidates complete exams; public testimony and interviews set for this week
The five finalists to be Maui Police Department chief said they are seeking the job for reasons including serving the community, supporting department employees and providing transparency.
In handwritten answers on a Maui Police Commission examination that was administered Monday, finalists Everett Ferreira, Larry Hudson, John Jakubczak, John Pelletier and Victor Ramos gave a variety of responses to questions about why they want to become chief and why the commission should select them.
The 10 questions on the exam and answers by each candidate were posted online on the Maui County website in advance of the commission’s meeting Thursday. Public testimony on selection of the police chief will be taken at the online meeting beginning at 9 a.m. The meeting link is bluejeans .com/436492036.
Wailuku Patrol Capt. Ferreira, a 42-year police veteran, said he wants to be chief “to insure (sic) that the Maui Police Department improves with its interaction with all employees within the Department, to insure we are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion, which would hopefully be passed on to the general public.”
“… I have the years, and experience, in servicing, my country, state, and the people of Maui County,” he wrote. “Through my experiences, I have developed my relationship skills, when dealing with officers and/or the general public.” Hudson, who retired as an assistant chief in 2013 after more than 33 years in the department, said, “I have a reputation of getting the job done.”
“There have been changes in the Department that I could not stand bye (sic) and do nothing,” he wrote. “I would be best able to address the concerns of transparency and moral. This is why I put in for this position.”
Hudson said that transparency is not the “ice cream” flavor of the month.
“It should be as natural as the air that we breath (sic) and just like the air that we breath, we only talk about it when something is wrong with it. The public demands transparency, but more importantly the public is owed transparency. Transparency breeds trust with the community, Trust makes the PD perform with integrity.”
Assistant Chief Jakubczak, a nearly 34-year MPD veteran who heads the Uniformed Services Bureau, said he wants to be chief “because I truly feel that I could get the most out of our personnel that would not only benefit the individual’s career and personal aspirations, but the community as well.”
“By being inclusive and allowing personnel to have a voice in ‘their’ department, personnel will have/feel ownership in the functions and operations of the department,” he wrote.
Jakubczak, who was raised on Maui since 1972 and returned after a three-year enlistment in the U.S. Army, said most of his extended family and friends are here.
“This is one of the reasons that I wish to be Chief of Police; for them,” he wrote. “To help ensure this county is safe for them and for the entire community. That everyone has an opportunity to live and grow in a safe environment that is supported by a Police Department that they can depend on and be proud of.”
Capt. Pelletier, who is bureau commander of Major Violator/ Narcotics for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said he has “worked my whole life to prepare me to lead this Department.”
He said he is a third-generation police officer from “a mixed, blended family” and has been visiting Hawaii for over 20 years.
“I believe in public service and the police mission,” he wrote. “I have built my whole career to be a head of agency.”
Pelletier said he understands “tourist based policing and community based policing at the highest level” and has “the proven ability, knowledge and skills to move forward MPD.”
“I will create and promote trust & transparency,” he wrote.
Assistant Chief Ramos, a 32-year police veteran who heads the Investigative Services Bureau, said he is applying for the job for a second time after being one of the final two candidates in 2014, when now retired Chief Tivoli Faaumu was selected.
“I love my community and want to ensure that the service we provide is the best we can offer. Our community, residents and visitors, expect effective, fair, comprehensive police service,” Ramos wrote. “Secondly, I love our officers and employees and can provide the leadership, trust and support needed for our people to excel in their areas of responsibility. I truly believe I can do some good!”
Ramos said he understands the need for effective communication.
“I have a history of sound decision making and share that knowledge with other commanders and supervisors,” he said. “I understand the need to work with our community members and organizations to understand their needs and desire for meaningful communication. We need the input of our community. Their feedback is crucial to our success as an effective agency.”
After receiving public testimony Thursday morning, the Police Commission may discuss the process of selecting the police chief before the meeting is scheduled to be recessed to Friday morning for interviews of the final candidates. Executive session meetings are anticipated Friday, according to the commission agenda.
Selection of the police chief is on the agenda when the meeting is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
To view the candidates’ full answers to the exam, visit mauicounty.gov/Document Center/Index/5096 and search under “2021 meeting materials.”