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, 1999, had 520 full-time positions with 386 sworn personnel and 134 civilian personnel positions. There were 37 part-time school crossing guards and 23 Police Officer I unfunded temporary positions.

BUDGET

Personnel Services

Other Current Expenses

HIGHLIGHTS/ACTIVITIES

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 and the Traffic Enforcement Unit.

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, Puna and Ka'u.

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

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 services 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 six Detective Sergeants and two PO-III positions are assigned to this section.

Field Operations Bureau

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

Field Operations, more commonly referred to as the Patrol Division, is comprised of 248 patrol officers and field supervisors. Seven captains are assigned to command districts of Area I and II along with support staff personnel.

The Field Operations Bureau also oversees the Community-Oriented Policing program, which has been expanded to include a total of 23 police officers and sergeants.

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 1996-1997.

In 1998, police eradicated 202,931 marijuana plants and more than 52 pounds of dried, processed marijuana, which resulted in 576 arrests on the Big Island.

Cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and heroin continue to be a problem. In 1998, 1.5 pounds of heroin, 10 pounds of cocaine and 1.7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine were recovered, resulting in 233 arrests.

Traffic Enforcement Unit

There were 44 traffic fatalities on the Big Island in 1998. Alcohol-related deaths included 14 persons (32%). Two of the fatalities were also drug-related.

Traffic fatalities claimed 13 lives in Kona, 11 in Puna, nine in South Hilo, five in South Kohala, two in Ka'u, two in Hamakua, one in North Hilo and one in North Kohala.

DUI enforcement efforts netted 1,056 drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs — a record high. This represented a 40 percent increase of the 755 drivers arrested for DUI offenses in 1997.

Of the total of 4,942 accidents, 2,195 were major accidents involving death, injury, and/or property loss in excess of $3,000. Of the major traffic accidents, 1,267 accidents resulted in injuries or deaths on our highways.

Police Recruit Class

There were two recruit classes held during the 1998-1999 fiscal year.

The 55th Police Recruit Class started March 2, 1998, and concluded November 30, 1998. Thirteen recruits completed the class.

September 16, 1998, was the start of the 56th Recruit Class. Fourteen recruits completed their training on June 15, 1999.

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.

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.

The HI-PAL baseball program currently includes teams in the Puna, South Hilo and Kona Districts. In East Hawaii, there are four T-ball teams for 6- and 7-year-olds; five Coach Pitch teams for 8- and 9-year-olds; two Mustang teams for 9- and 10-year-olds, three Bronco teams for 11- and 12-year-olds; two Pony teams for 13- and 14-year-olds and three Colt teams for 15- and 16- year-olds. In West Hawaii, there are three teams in each of the following divisions: T-ball, C-ball and Mustang. The Bronco Division has four teams. There are currently no Pony or Colt teams in West Hawaii. HI-PAL provides equipment to the teams and each year sponsors division tournaments. The season runs from January to July.

HI-PAL's volleyball program currently has four girls teams in the Hilo area -- one high school, one intermediate and two elementary. The girls volleyball season runs from September to December. The high School volleyball league is held in April and May.

Acquiring the Boys & Girls Club athletic facilities for HI-PAL to run its programs has been positive for HI-PAL and the club. Time, money and manpower is being used to upgrade the facilities.

The basketball program is a year-round event. In January, HI-PAL co-sponsors a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament with Hope Chapel in Kona at the Keauhou Shopping Center. The tourney draws participants from 5 to 14 years old and is open to both boys and girls. From February to May, P&R sponsors a Girls Basketball League, and HI-PAL sponsors about five teams from elementary through intermediate grades. HI-PAL sponsors a league basketball tournament in May in which teams from Ka'u through Kona participate annually. During the summer, HI-PAL sponsors a summer basketball league in both East and West Hawaii. The divisions are: 8 and Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and Girls Intermediate and Elementary. During September through November, HI-PAL sponsors an islandwide Boys Intermediate Basketball League. In October, HI-PAL sponsors an Eight and Under Tournament in Hilo. Eleven teams took part in the first annual October Slam last year. P&R sponsors an age group basketball league between October and January. Each year during December 26-39, HI-PAL sponsors the Winter Basketball Clinic.

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. Over 1,700 junior high students 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.

Gangs are often controlled by adults that attempt to lure youths to become involved by masquerading the real-life consequences of choosing to affiliate oneself with gangs. P.A.G.E., through its classroom curriculum, draws attention and broadens awareness on 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 1998-99, community policing was expanded to add nine officers. The additional officers, bringing the total to 23, allowed the Department to fulfill a commitment to have complete coverage in all eight police districts on the Big Island.

Included with this expansion was the creation of two sergeant’s positions that would assist in supervision and administrative responsibilities connected with Community Policing Officers (CPO) efforts in Area I and Area II.

The South Hilo Division realized an increase of four officers, prompting the development of six distinct geographical sectors in the district. Puna was assigned one more officer, enabling the district to be divided into three areas—Lower Puna, Keaau and Upper Puna. The Kona District saw the addition of two officers, providing for additional coverage throughout the district. North Hilo and North Kohala received an officer each to commence with community policing activities in those areas.

Community Policing Officers operate out of five 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 the Keauhou Shopping Center in North Kona.

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 6,000 elementary, junior and senior high school students during the 1998-99 academic school year. Nearly 51,000 Big Island students have participated in the drug abuse and violence prevention program since 1985.

Twenty-three parents attended D.A.R.E. for Parents seminars held in Keaau and Honokaa. D.A.R.E.

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 summer Leadership Institutes attracted more than 135 participants.

Although limited resources do no allow D.A.R.E. to expand further at the senior high level, the program’s participation in a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) School-Based Partnership Grant Project at Waiakea High School will broaden its exposure on campus. The project will address drug use and drug dealing on campus through data collection analysis, and the subsequent implementation of a curriculum developed and presented by students.

Support for the program from the corporate community continues to flourish. Corporate contributions enabled D.A.R.E. to co-sponsor a spring break clinic for youngsters featuring players from the National Football League, and host, in partnership with the Education Department, the first-ever "D.A.R.E. to Be Champions" festival, a program that recognized junior high students for their achievements and their commitment to live a healthy productive life.

Kohala and Konawaena of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation were declared co-champions of the eighth annual Ka Makani Boys Tip-Off Classic, held in December.

In March, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s Punahou Buff n’ Blue captured the ninth annual Ka Makani-McDonald’s-D.A.R.E. Girls Tip-Off Classic title with a win over host Hawaii Preparatory Academy. The Big Island’s premier girls tournament attracted Wallenburg High School of San Francisco as a tournament participant.

"D.A.R.E. on the Road" was realized through the generous contribution of a 25-passenger minibus from Jack’s tours. The transfer of two 30-passenger transit buses boosted the D.A.R.E. fleet to three. Two buses will be used as "people movers," while the third will be converted into a mobile drug abuse and violence prevention learning center.

Community Relations Section

The Relations/Crime Prevention Section hosted more than 1,600 pre-school, elementary, intermediate, high school and college students during the 1998-99 school year on guided tours of the Public Safety Complex in Hilo and district police stations islandwide.

Nearly 180 public speaking requests were answered, reaching more than 45,000 persons. These requests involved demonstrations and lectures on a multitude of topics ranging from McGruff, the Crime Dog; KidCare I.D.; Stranger Danger; Drug and Gang Awareness; Home Security; Personal Safety and Laws; Arrest Procedures; Halloween Safety; Robbery Readiness; and Theft Prevention.

Crime Stoppers entered its 17th year. Since its inception in May 1981, Crime Stoppers Hilo and West Hawaii Crime Stoppers received 3,252 calls with information, cleared 1,293 cases and paid $65,685 in rewards. More than $12,219,742 worth of narcotics and more than $1,018,952 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 as it may consider necessary for the conduct of its business and regulation of the matters committed to its charge and 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; submit an annual report to the Mayor and the County Council; receive, consider and investigate charges brought by the public against the conduct of the department or any of its members and submit a written report of its findings to the Police Chief; advise the Police Chief on police-community relations; and hire personnel necessary to carry out its functions.

Police Commission members are: