Hawai'i Police Department's Major Aimee Wana, with the Administrative Services Division, said officers not only help maintain the peace and fight crime but also work closely with the community through a multitude of programs and initiatives.
Wana said the department's personnel strive daily to maintain the mission statement to "preserve the spirit of Aloha" and “work cooperatively with the community to enforce the laws, preserve peace and provide a safe environment.”
"Our community police officers collaborate with citizens. Some of the participant groups are the neighborhood watch programs, community association meetings and business association meetings," Wana told Big Island Times. "Additionally Hawaii Police Department regularly keeps the community informed by issuing media releases on significant arrests or criminal activity as well as using social media outlets (i.e. Nixle, Twitter, Facebook) to keep the community informed."
Wana said that on the policing side of things, the department has policies in place that ensure officers embody a high standard of professionalism, which is expected of them.
"[We have] a sound policy in place and hold our personnel to a high standard of professionalism. [We] ensure timely response to 'in progress' and other crimes and keep the victims informed of the status of their investigation. [We also] publicize the results of good police work and investigations that lead to arrests, particularly when the defendants are responsible for a 'crime trend' in a particular area, or a noteworthy violent crime," Wana said.
On the community side, many officers participate in community groups, meetings, coach sports and various other activities that allow residents to get to know officers on a more personal level.
"Our department is much more localized with many of our officers often working in the same communities that they live in, fostering a vested interest and connection with the community. Officers tend to be active participants with the community, whether it be in the form of playing and coaching athletics or participating in programs such as the Special Olympics, Shop with a Cop, etc. As a result, our community sees the human side of policing, often a gentler and kinder image than the preconceived stereotype law enforcement officer," Wana said.
When asked about how the Hawai'i Police Department is dealing with the ongoing fear of being accused of things like police brutality, excessive use of force and other issues seen throughout the rest of the country, Wana said the department has put in place some new programs to help protect the citizens and officers.
"In November of 2020 the department implemented a Body Worn Camera program to include a comprehensive policy on the use and by December 2020, equipped all our uniformed patrol officers with cameras. This program provides the department with yet another tool in documenting our interactions with the community," Wana said.
According to the 2010 census, the Hawai'i County Police Department provides services covering 4,028.02 square miles with approximately 185,079 residents and thousands of visitors to the island yearly.
Because of being such a large area to cover, the island is divided by the department into Area I and Area II. Area I covers a total area of 1,685 square miles of east Hawaiʻi, which includes the districts of Hāmakua, North Hilo, South Hilo and Puna. Area II covers west Hawai'i with 2,345 square miles and includes North Kohala, South Kohala, North Kona, South Kona and Ka'ū.
Those interested in learning more about the Hawai‘i Police Department’s Community Relations and Community Policing programs, can email hcpdone@hawaiicounty.gov. or visit www.hawaiipolice.com.