Hawaii's attorney general declines to prosecute SHOPO leadership

Sep. 30—The Attorney General's Office said it made the decision not to proceed with charges after reviewing an investigation by HPD's Professional Standards Office of SHOPO President Robert Cavaco and Vice President Stephen Keogh

The state Department of the Attorney General has declined to charge two leaders of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers with misdemeanor extortion in connection with allegations contained in a civil suit filed by an ousted board member.

The decision not to proceed with criminal charges was made after reviewing an investigation by the Honolulu Police Department's Professional Standards Office of SHOPO President Robert Cavaco and Vice President Stephen Keogh, according to the Attorney General's Office.

In a joint statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Cavaco, an HPD lieutenant, and Keogh, an HPD sergeant, said they were "pleased " the attorney general "saw through these ridiculous accusations " by HPD Sgt. David Leonard "Ka ­wika " Hallums.

"Mr. Hallums' slanderous actions took two officers off of our roads and away from protecting our community, he attempted to weaken our union, he impacted our family lives and he sought to sully our reputations. It's shameful, " their statement said. "We appreciate the faith and support we received from our fellow SHOPO members and HPD colleagues. We look forward to continuing our work to advocate for Hawaii's police officers and the safety of our communities."

HPD's Professional Standards Office opened a misdemeanor extortion case in June after Hallums reported he was falsely accused of double-dipping into HPD and union travel funds and was blackmailed with the threat of a theft complaint.

The office forwarded the findings of its criminal investigation to Attorney General Holly T. Shikada's office in July.

"The case was sent by HPD PSO to our prosecutors for conferral and the Department is declining prosecution, " said Gary H. Yamashiroya, special assistant to the attorney general, in a statement to the Star-Advertiser on Thursday.

HPD was notified Thursday of the attorney general's decision to decline prosecution.

Cavaco and Keogh have been on "restriction of police authority " since the start of the probe while maintaining their innocence.

Restriction of police authority is an order by the chief of police to an officer to cease the use of any police authority until further notice, according to HPD. The order might require the officer to turn in certain police equipment, including department-issued firearms and ammunition.

In order to return to unrestricted duty, Cavaco and Keogh's commanders would need to file paperwork asking Police Chief Arthur "Joe " Logan to restore their police powers. The request would be reviewed by about five different commanders prior to Logan making a final ruling.

Hallums' civil lawsuit outlining the allegations that led to the criminal investigation was filed May 31. The former SHOPO vice president alleged that other members of the union's executive board conspired to remove him by falsely accusing him of double-dipping into travel funds and blackmailed him with the threat of criminal charges.

Hallums maintained that SHOPO's previous president approved the travel and that no violations of the union's code of conduct occurred.

HPD's Professional Standards Office received a copy of the civil complaint the day it was filed and began scheduling interviews with those named in the case. The civil suit is ongoing in state Circuit Court.