A white man the mayor has tapped to fill a vacancy on the Honolulu Police Commission said he doesn t believe racial discrimination exists in Hawaii.
When City Councilwoman Esther Kia‘aina asked Larry Ignas at a council meeting Wednesday if he acknowledged there is racial discrimination in Hawaii, the 77-year-old said he hasn’t seen any in his more than 30 years in the state.
“I have never seen any,” Ignas said. “I don’t see any discrimination in Hawaii not like back in the mainland.
He founded the private security firm Star Protection Agency and later ran United Security Alarms. Before coming to Hawaii, he was a police officer in East Chicago, Indiana.
Police commission nominee denies racism exists in Hawaii
June 3, 2021
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HONOLULU (AP) A white man the mayor has tapped to fill a vacancy on the Honolulu Police Commission said he doesn t believe racial discrimination exists in Hawaii.
When City Councilwoman Esther Kia‘aina asked Larry Ignas at a council meeting Wednesday if he acknowledged there is racial discrimination in Hawaii, the 77-year-old said he hasn’t seen any in his more than 30 years in the state.
“I have never seen any,” Ignas said. “I don’t see any discrimination in Hawaii not like back in the mainland.
He founded the private security firm Star Protection Agency and later ran United Security Alarms. Before coming to Hawaii, he was a police officer in East Chicago, Indiana.
Lightfoot had proposed the creation of such a team as part of her campaign for mayor and discussions about the proposal have been ongoing for years.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown declined to comment on the idea last month, saying he wouldn t do politics. I have no desire at all to be the 51st Alderman and chime in on unsettled issues in City Council, Brown said at the time. I don t believe my role should be to tip the scales either way before that public discourse is completed and voted on and approved by Mayor Lightfoot.
Under the plan, the commission, which would not have any citizenship requirements or restrictions, would begin its work as early as Jan. 1, 2022. If the proposal is approved by City Council, the commission would then have the powers to:
Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he has no doubt Lightfoot will want to retain power to set the CPD budget and hire and fire the police superintendent, COPA chief and Police Board president. And she should, he added.
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