Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry and two assistant police chiefs were put on leave last week. 

In a post on his blog today, Lind combs through the Kauai County Charter to see who really has authority over the chief of police. He writes: 

When in doubt, always stop and check out the rules. …

Here’s what the charter says:

Section 11.04. Chief of Police. The chief of police shall be appointed by the police commission. He may be removed by the police commission only after being given a written statement of the charges against him and a hearing before the commission. The chief of police shall have had a minimum of five years of training and experience in law enforcement, at least three years of which shall be in a responsible, administrative capacity. He shall make such reports from time to time as the commission shall require, and shall annually make a report to the commission of the state of affairs and condition of the police department. (Amended 1984)

Nothing there giving the mayor authority to “temporarily” remove or suspend the chief.

But there’s more to it. Check out Lind’s full blog post.