Ask the Mayor: Officers Taking Photos of Underage Children They Pull Over

Mayor Michael Victorino answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

Q: My 17-year-old daughter was recently pulled over at a checkpoint. The police officer who was gathering her information took a picture of her on his cellphone. Are officers supposed to take photos of underage children they pull over?

A: Mahalo for your question. The Maui Police Department recently began implementing a new computerized system that enables officers to attach photographs of violators, who cannot or do not produce their driver’s license.

It isn’t a matter of whether officers are supposed to take a photo of underage children. It seems in this case, your daughter may have been operating a motor vehicle at an intoxication checkpoint without her provisional license on her person – which itself is a violation. That would explain why the photo was taken.

Please remember to observe all rules of the road and practice safe driving. I am proud that our community and police department have rallied behind victims of traffic accidents and my hope is we continue our efforts to protect our residents and visitors.

Want to Ask the Mayor? Submit your Maui County related questions to Mayor Michael Victorino by email to [email protected], by phone at 270-7855 or by mail at 200 S. High St., ninth floor, Wailuku 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column; to request a personal response to a concern, email [email protected].