Sat, Nov 07 2009
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Published January 31, 2009 11:04 pm - ARCADIA, Kan. — Mark Hunsaker says love of his boyhood home prompts him to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours on planes to commute from Honolulu to Arcadia, where he serves as a part-time police officer on weekends. Arcadia draws duo from Hawaii By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com ARCADIA, Kan. — Mark Hunsaker says love of his boyhood home prompts him to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours on planes to commute from Honolulu to Arcadia, where he serves as a part-time police officer on weekends. But he won’t elaborate on his motives and hasn’t answered questions from citizens in the Crawford County community of 400 about his role as a peace officer, beyond saying, “A lot of communities have part-time law enforcement.” Pressed for details, he said: “The Arcadia Police Department will have no comment.” Hunsaker — an accountant and former volunteer commissioner with the Honolulu Police Commission — also won’t say how much he has spent on plane tickets, gas, hotel accommodations and out-of-pocket travel expenses associated with the 9,600-mile round trip he has made at least once a month since July 2007. Nor will he say how much of his own money has been spent equipping himself with a uniform, badge, gun and other law-enforcement equipment. While he does draw a yearly salary of $100 from the city of Arcadia, city officials say Hunsaker donates those funds back. Ditto for Hunsaker’s friend Ralph Black, who has served as a part-time police officer for Arcadia since last September. Like Hunsaker, Black, a tax attorney from Hilo, Hawaii, has spent an unknown amount of his own money on travel expenses, and to purchase and outfit a police car. Black has no known ties to Arcadia, beyond his friend Hunsaker. ‘Hobby cops’ Folks in Arcadia say it’s strange the city has two part-time cops making a commute from Hawaii to patrol the streets of their small town once or twice a month. “I think they’re playing hobby cops,” said Kristina Stansbury. Steve Lechliter, another Arcadia resident, wonders about city liability should Hunsaker or Black become involved in an accident or injure someone in the line of duty. “I think the city of Arcadia is liable,” he said. “God forbid these two guys come over here and hurt somebody or shoot somebody and take the city to a bath.” Residents aren’t the only people who have taken an interest in the jet-setting cops. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is looking into the purchase and resale of state vehicles to Hunsacker and Black, according to Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton. “The KBI does have some investigations going on into the area, but I would be unable to comment on them,” said Wiley Kerr, assistant KBI director. 
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