"Huge cuts" will be required to balance the Hawaii County Police Department's budget next fiscal year, though police and county officials were shy of details Friday.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri said that he has "no idea" about the exact amount of the projected shortfall for 2010-11. He said details will be available once police meet with the Department of Human Resources this month.

Finance Director Nancy Crawford also said she was unable to provide details on the projected shortfall because county departments haven't submitted projected budget.

"He (Kubojiri) knows he's being required to take huge cuts," she added.

The budget shortfall was announced at the Police Commission's monthly meeting Friday morning in Kailua, Kona.

Kubojiri said the department normally wouldn't assess the next fiscal year's budget until December, but Mayor Billy Kenoi requested all county departments start work early. Kenoi predicted in September a $44.8 million budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1, figuring there will be $33.8 million less in revenue and $11 million more in expenses.

"I've asked commanders in each district to take a look at their operations and try to find areas that we can make cuts or savings," said Kubojiri, adding that overtime has been minimized. "An impact on services is going to impact everybody, from personnel to the community and the services that we have to offer."

Kubojiri said that Kenoi has asked that any plan for elimination or reductions in service must include specifics about how the changes will affect the community.

"Although we are trying to make cost-saving cuts, we are not going to do it at the expense of personnel or public safety," Kubojiri said.

The scarcity of dollars may mean cuts in services, equipment, personnel and training, he said. Cuts to programs, such as training, he said, might affect the department's ability to receive national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, which the department expects to occur next year.

"(Cuts) would impact accreditation next year because we will be mandated to establish training criteria and have to offer training to everyone on different subjects," said Kubojiri, adding that the mandatory training would likely have to occur biannually and annually.

"(We need) national accreditation standards — it helps on our liability (insurance) and the public's confidence that the police department is following standards that are nationally accredited."

Training is expensive, he said.

The department has the option of sending officers off-island for training or paying an instructor $10,000 to $12,000 to travel to the Big Island. That cost does not include hourly wages or overtime pay for officers receiving training, he said.

While furloughs may be a possibility for the department's civilian employees, Kubojiri said he is not asking the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers to consider furloughs for police officers.

"For the purpose of planning, SHOPO contracts are being viewed as a done deal," he said noting that the SHOPO contract expires June 30, 2011. "We have to find where else we can trim — services and programs."