Since taking over as Honolulu police chief last year Boisse Correa has "exceeded expectations" and maintained an "exemplary" working relationship with the department's civilian oversight board, according to the Honolulu Police Commission's first formal evaluation of the city's top cop.

Correa's leadership qualities, managerial skills and working relationship with the police commission were graded by the commission's seven-members, who agreed that Correa should receive high marks in all categories.

"We're very satisfied with the way that he has conducted himself both leadership wise and the way he's managed the department," said Ron Taketa, chairman of the commission. "He's done a good job."

The chief's evaluation comes on the eve of a meeting between department representatives and officials from the officer's union, where they will discuss the results of a leadership survey sent out last month by the union to all O'ahu members.

Correa was not invited to the meeting, so the department will send Deputy Chiefs Paul Putzulu and Glen Kajiyama. Correa declined comment on his review yesterday.

The State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers' O'ahu chapter board voted unanimously Oct. 28 to commission the survey after discussing "concerns regarding the leadership, working conditions and morale of officers of the Honolulu Police Department," according to a Nov. 3 letter sent with the two-page survey to the union's 1,800-plus O'ahu members.

SHOPO O'ahu chapter chairman Alex Garcia said he will reserve comment until the results of the SHOPO survey are released Monday.

Taketa said the commission will meet with the union to hear their concerns as well as receive the survey.

The union and Correa's administration disagreed over a number of issues, most notably the handling of the budget and what the union deems an unfair system for disciplining officers.

Correa received his evaluation during a meeting with Taketa and vice chairwoman Cha Thompson on Wednesday evening.

The commission lauded Correa's efforts to improve crime prevention, traffic management, homeland security, technology management, community programs as best he could during tough financial times.

The commission will be meeting with Correa later this month to discuss goals for 2006 and the criteria for his next evaluation.

Taketa said the commission would like to establish numerical goals for the chief such as a certain percentage reduction in the number of property crimes or reducing the amount of time it takes to clear and investigate traffic collisions.

The benchmarks will include dates by which time certain community events or training programs will have to have been planned, and implemented.

The commission, whose members are appointed and not compensated for their service, is also responsible for investigating public complaints

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.