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ROLES AND DUTIES

The basic role and duties of the Hawaii Police Department are three-fold:

The reduction and clearance of crimes committed.

Inhibiting the growth of drugs on our island.

Reducing traffic fatalities.

STAFF

The Hawaii Police Department, as of June 30, 2001, had 536 full-time positions with 395 sworn personnel and 141 civilian personnel positions. There were 40 part-time school crossing guards and 23 Police Officer I unfunded temporary positions.

Personnel Services

Salaries & Wages, Straight Time $19,875,325

Salaries & Wages, Others $ 1,939,650

Other Current Expenses

Contractual Services $ 4,638,722

Materials & Supplies $ 1,044,074

Other Charges $ 594,979

Equipment $ 145,275

Miscellaneous Accounts $ 2,070,466

Total $30,308,491

Administrative Bureau

The Administrative Bureau is divided into three divisions -- Administrative Services, Technical Services and Fiscal Services.

The Administrative Services Division oversees training, research and development, the word processing center, police chaplains, Community Relations/Crime Prevention and the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program.

The Technical Services Division is in charge of the Communications Maintenance Section, Communications Dispatch Section, Records and Identification Section and Traffic Services Section. The Traffic Services Section oversees the Driver Licensing Section.

The Fiscal Services Division is responsible for budgeting and Department finances.

Investigative Operations Bureau

The Criminal Investigation, Juvenile Aid and Vice Sections fall under the auspices of the Investigative Operations Bureau. The Bureau is split between two regions, designated Areas I and II.

Area I encompasses the districts of North and South Hilo, Hamakua and Puna.

Area II covers the districts of North and South Kohala, and North and South Kona, and Ka'u.

The Criminal Investigation Sections collectively have 16 Detective Sergeants and several support personnel assigned to Areas I and II.

The Vice Sections are centrally located within the districts of South Hilo and Kona and service Areas I and II respectively. Six Detective Sergeants and 10 PO-III positions are assigned to these sections.

The Juvenile Aid Sections in areas I and II have a complement of 11 Detective Sergeants and four PO-III positions are assigned to this section.

In addition, Area I and Area II each has one Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner coordinator.

Field Operations Bureau

The Field Operations Bureau is also divided into the two regions, designated as Area I and II.

Field Operations is comprised of a total of 315 patrol officers and field supervisors, including those assigned to the Community-Oriented Policing program and the Traffic Enforcement Unit. Seven captains are assigned to command the eight districts of Area I and II along with support staff personnel.

Vice Section

The Hawaii Police Department continued its commitment to ridding our communities of illicit narcotics and drugs and to address other vice activities such as gambling and morals offenses. Through its enforcement efforts, substantial seizures and arrests were made during the FY 2000-2001.

In 2000, police eradicated 106,639 marijuana plants and 42 pounds of dried, processed marijuana, which resulted in 615 arrests on the Big Island.

Cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and heroin continue to be a problem. In 2000, 4.2 pounds of heroin, 7.9 pounds of cocaine and 19 pounds of crystal methamphetamine were recovered, resulting in 528 arrests.

Traffic Enforcement Unit

The Traffic Enforcement Unit is comprised of a supervising sergeant and three patrol officers in East Hawaii and four patrol officers in West Hawaii. It is charged with enforcing traffic laws around the island and with investigating traffic deaths.

There were 38 traffic fatalities on the Big Island in 2000. Of these, 12 of the traffic deaths (32%) were related to alcohol.

DUI enforcement efforts netted 1,081 drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This represented a 10% decrease from the record 1,207 drivers arrested for DUI offenses in 1999.

A breakdown of DUI arrests in 2000, by police district, shows that Kona had 308 DUI arrests; South Hilo, 280; Puna, 269; South Kohala, 123; Hamakua, 34; Ka’u, 32; North Kohala, 21; and North Hilo, 14.

Police Recruit Class

There was one recruit class held during the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

The 59th Police Recruit Class started on January 8, 2001, and will conclude on October 15, 2001. Twelve recruits are taking part in the class.

Hawaii Isle Police Activities League (HI-PAL)

The Hawaii Isle Police Activities League serves the Island of Hawaii and its young people. Its primary function is to provide athletic activities for children ages 5-18 years old.

HI-PAL works with the County Parks and Recreation Department to provide activities and opportunities for children in order to build character and self-confidence through athletics.

HI-PAL's activities include softball, baseball, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. Its East Hawaii staff includes a sergeant and a civilian recreational director; its West Hawaii staff consists of two police officers.

More than 6,000 youngsters participated in HI-PAL'S activities in 2000. Many youngsters are considered to be "at risk" because of geographic, economic or social factors. They participate with and against their peers who are not considered to be "at risk."

Two HI-PAL-sponsored activities annually draw participation from around the State of Hawaii. The HI-PAL/HOPE Chapel 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament held in January and the HI-PAL Winter Basketball Classic held in December have drawn teams from the outer islands and for several years a team from California. Teams from as far away as New York have expressed an interest in coming to participate. The HI-PAL Winter Basketball Classic is considered to be one of the largest age group basketball tournaments in the state.

Finally, HI-PAL sponsors various clinics for both players and coaches and officials, who regulate the games. A referees' class is held each year in May and is open to anyone interested in officiating and for veteran officials who wish to keep their skills sharp. Graduates start out officiating Eight and Under games and progress to older age groups as they become more proficient. In this way, HI-PAL hopes to educate and promote fair competition.

Positive Alternative Gang Education (P.A.G.E.)

The objectives of the P.A.G.E. program and the commitment of the officers involved, to rid our community of gang involvement and related gang violence, remained unchanged. Last year, 1,872 seventh grade students who participated in the program offered by the department's Juvenile Aid Section officers. The primary focus is to encourage positive alternative behavior for youths at risk and divert them from the hidden dangers associated with gangs.

P.A.G.E., through its classroom curriculum, broadens students’ awareness of how gang involvement destroys lives. Beyond the classroom, P.A.G.E. offers positive alternatives and encourages the youth in our community to make the right choices and through community service projects instills community pride.

Community-Oriented Policing

During Fiscal Year 2000-2001, community policing had a total of 30 officers, including two supervising sergeants.

Along with two supervising sergeants, one in Hilo and the other in Kailua-Kona, there are nine officer positions assigned to South Hilo, seven to Kona, four to Puna, three to South Kohala, two to Ka'u and one each to North Hilo, Hamakua and North Kohala.

Community Policing Officers operate out of six mini-stations. The mini-stations are located at the Mooheau Bus Station, Clem Akina Park, and Richardson Beach Park in South Hilo; at the Waikoloa Golf Course in South Kohala; and at the ABC Store in Kailua-Kona; and in Honokaa in Hamakua.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)

The Hawaii County Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program reached more than 4,750 elementary, junior and senior high school students during the 2000-2001 academic school year. Nearly 65,000 Big Island students have participated in the drug abuse and violence prevention program since 1985.

D.A.R.E. officers provided educational exhibits islandwide at school and community events.

The Department, in partnership with the State Department of Education, hosted a number of extra-curricular events:

Expanded culmination activities included regional D.A.R.E.

Junior High Nights for middle schoolers in addition to the traditional D.A.R.E. Day celebrations for elementary students.

D.A.R.E.’s popular Institute for Future Leaders attracted more than 209 participants.

The D.A.R.E.+ P.L.U.S. (Play and Learn Under Supervision) provides students with positive activities beyond the classroom. On the Big Island, the Hawaii County Police Department and State Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program offers a number of opportunities for elementary, junior and senior students.

Elementary, junior and senior high schools have participated in a number of athletic events. The recent D.A.R.E. Senior High Summer Pass Football League has received rave reviews from coaches, players, and parents. The D.A.R.E. 5th Grade Basketball Playoffs are scheduled to begin in October.

Besides athletics, D.A.R.E.+ P.L.U.S. has coordinated and assisted leadership institutes and youth conferences. It has plans for a 5th Grade Spelling Bee Challenge and a Safety Kids puppet Show for lower elementary school students.

Community Relations Section

The Relations/Crime Prevention Section hosted more than 800 pre-school, elementary, intermediate, high school and college students during the 2000-2001 school year on guided tours of the Public Safety Complex in Hilo and district police stations islandwide.

More than 175 public speaking requests were answered, reaching more than 4,000 people. These requests involved demonstrations and lectures on a multitude of topics ranging from Scruff the Crime Dog; Kid Care I.D.; Stranger Danger; Drug and Gang Awareness; Home Security; Personal Safety and Laws; Arrest Procedures; Halloween Safety; Robbery Readiness; Theft Prevention; and Neighborhood and Business Watches.

Crime Stoppers entered its 20th year. Since its inception in May 1981, Crime Stoppers Hilo and West Hawaii Crime Stoppers received 4,150 calls with information, cleared 1,414 cases and paid $71,225 in rewards. More than $10.5 million worth of narcotics and more than $1 million in stolen property were recovered with information from tipsters.

Police Commission

The Police Commission consists of nine members. One member is appointed from each of the nine county districts. The members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the County Council.

The functions of the Police Commission are to adopt rules it considers necessary for the conduct of its business, and regulation of the matters committed to its charge. It may review the rules and regulations of the department; review the department's annual budget prepared by the Police Chief and may make recommendations thereon to the Mayor. It submits an annual report to the Mayor and the County Council; receives, considers and investigates charges brought by the public against the conduct of the department or any of its members and submits a written report of its findings to the Police Chief. It advises the Police Chief on police-community relations and hires personnel necessary to carry out its functions.

Police Commission members are:

Chair, Wilfred M. Okabe, District III-South Hilo.

Vice Chair, Dwight K. Manago, District VII-South Kona.

Phoebe Lambeth, District I-Hamakua.

Pete Muller, District II-South Hilo.

Horace S. Hara, District IV-South Hilo.

Walter Moe, District V-Puna.

Daniel C. Kama, District VI-Upper Puna.

John M. Bertsch, District VIII-North Kona.

Clarence Mills, District IX-North and South Kohala.

This page was modified on May 14, 2002
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