DECENCY can carry you a long way in this life. The warm sendoff Police Chief Michael Nakamura received upon his retirement this week was proof of that. Police chief's cool manner inspired trust
Nakamura, 50, stepped down after 28 years in the department and seven years as chief as a result of a progressive neuromuscular disease. He went out as upbeat as he came in. "I'm happy and excited to be moving on," he said. "Maybe it's because I always see change as exciting."
Nakamura is at his core a tough law-and-order cop. But the most special qualities he brought to the chief's office were an easy manner and a deep affection for both the men and women who served under him and the citizens of Honolulu they all served.
He's a people person who was always available to an officer who wanted to talk. He made a birthday call to every police employee.
Nakamura presented a face to the public that inspired trust in the police. With all the whining by the police union about keeping police disciplinary records secret, you'd almost think there's a lot of police wrongdoing to cover up.
But the opposite is probably true. When the records are finally made public, they'll likely show what a remarkably clean department Nakamura has run compared to some big-city departments elsewhere. Infractions by officers under Nakamura's command appear to be relatively few and mostly minor.
I first met the chief shortly after he took office when he called a meeting with news media representatives to work out some differences on access to police information.
Tempers were short among both the news representatives and the police brass. Nakamura was the coolest guy in the room and soon changed the tone of the meeting.
Disagreements remained, but I was left with a strong sense that I was dealing with somebody who was open-minded, fair and good to his word. He never gave me reason to think otherwise.
Nakamura's personal honesty is such that it's a compliment to say that even when he screwed up, such as in his handling of the Sharon Black sexual harassment case, he lacked the guile to convincingly sell his cover story.
The chief is an inspiration to others with disabilities by the way he handles his.
As much as he values his privacy, I'm sure he would have just as soon kept his health troubles to himself. But there comes a point when it becomes so visible that one has no choice but to say something just to end the rumors.
Nakamura was forthright in announcing his illness to the public, but drew a strict boundary on the details he would discuss publicly. It was a classy and effective way to do it. Nakamura went out of his way to put others at ease about his disability - always eager to chat about the mileage he got on his electric scooter or how he looks for unusual canes when he travels.
WHEN a high-profile person reveals a disability, a few sharks will try to take advantage. Some letters to the editor suggested the chief should step down, but Nakamura ignored the advice and served more years as capably as ever. He decided for himself when it was time to move on.
Nakamura's devotion to his profession and his department is evident in what he plans to do in his "retirement." He'll teach community college courses in police science and lobby for better pay for police.
It's comforting that the next generation of police officers will be instilled with the values of Michael Nakamura.