The Honolulu Police Department is reevaluating its planned Nov. 1 re­assignment of 100 officers to bolster patrol staffing after community backlash over the shutdown of the Junior Police Officer program, Police Activities League, and other initiatives.

In a statement to the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser, HPD officials did not say if the JPO and PAL programs would be saved permanently or how the Nov. 1 reassignment of officers to patrol would change.

The JPO program is run by HPD’s Traffic Division and has been active for more than 80 years as the only student traffic assistance program in the nation, according to the state Department of Education. The Junior Police Officers provide traffic safety assistance at 120 Oahu schools during the school year. The Police Activities League started in July 1948 and offers basketball, flag football, volleyball, baseball, judo, karate, boxing, and rugby year-round, according to HPD. HPD’s PAL program also offers cooking classes, literacy development, and cultural activities.

“After hearing concerns from the community, HPD is currently reevaluating our approach on reaching our patrol staffing goal,” HPD said Monday.

On Monday night, HPD issued an updated statement saying that “HPD recognizes the importance of these programs and what they mean to the families, students, and communities we serve. We value the relationships we’ve built through these programs and have worked hard to find ways to preserve both PAL and JPO. Unfortunately, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program will be put on hold once the current session graduates.”

DOE schools started telling parents and guardians on Friday that the Junior Police Officer program would shut down Nov. 1. HPD officers informed the schools they support on Friday.

“Effective Nov 1, 2026 the JPO program is being dismantled. Chief (David) Lazar is moving in a new direction and JPO officers are being redistributed to Patrol Districts,” read the note from HPD. “It was nice working with you and the JPO’S over this past year. A formal letter from my Sergeant will be sent to you soon.”

“The only thing that may help save the program is public pressure by having the student, teachers, administrators, parents and district representatives write letters of objection to stop this and save programs that help our community,” the officer wrote.

The officer included Lazar’s name and the address of HPD’s headquarters.

On Friday afternoon, Matthew Bunyan, vice-principal at Aikahi Elementary School, sent a note to parents and guardians to “share some sad news about our Junior Police Officer program.”

The program was created to train students in leadership, civic responsibility, and pedestrian safety, with HPD officers supervising and schools providing student participation, according to the DOE.

“This is a big loss for our students, as we all know how much this program helps them build discipline and community,” wrote Bunyan. “There is still a chance to save the program, but we need your help. Our best hope is public pressure. We are asking parents, students, and community members to write a letter to Chief Lazar explaining why the JPO program is important for your child.”

Bunyan said that while school officials are fighting to save the official HPD program, they are working on a backup plan should HPD decide to permanently cut the program.

“We want to make sure your children still have a chance to build leadership skills on campus, no matter what happens. If you have any ideas or suggestions for what this could look like, please let us know,” Bunyan asked.

The drama over the fate of the JPO program and HPD officer re-assignments started on Thursday.

Lazar to HPD employees saying the department is projecting a $34 million shortfall at the end of the year and exceeded its overtime budget by $6 million in the first quarter before holding a press conference about the re-assignments.

Decades of short staffing created HPD’s overtime spending issue, which led Lazar and his executive leadership team to re-assign 100 officers to beats in all eight police districts and the Central Receiving Division.

Under the plan announced Thursday, starting Nov. 1, 100 officers would be reassigned to patrol and central receiving. Lazar and his leadership team planned to end special assignments and putting officers on special assignments from non-patrol elements to patrol districts. Officers going back to patrol will come from the chief’s office, fourth watch, Criminal Intelligence Unit, Community Affairs Division, Records, Traffic, Training, Narcotics/Vice, Administration, Major Events Division, Information Technology Division, Human Re-sources Division and the Misdemeanor Follow Up Detail.

Lazar wrote Thursday that the changes may not be well received by every officer impacted by re-assignments.

Six days before Thursday’s memo, on Oct. 9, Lazar’s sent a letter to Hono­lulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters asking for resolution authorizing the transfer of $21.6 million to address the shortfall from “existing appropriations from areas where estimated lapses, cost savings, expenditure deferrals, or other available balances have been identified.”

It was the fifth request for a funds transfer to shore up budget shortfalls so far this year and the second in the current fiscal year.

Lazar and his leadership team met with council members Esther Kia‘aina, Andria Tupola, Val Okimoto, and Augusto Tulba. HPD also plans to meet with others about the $21.6 million request, the department said.

“I share a commitment to safe streets, secure homes, and every resident’s rights. I look forward to speaking with Police Chief Lazar about his plans to transfer funds within the department. The request is a surprise. We finished the budget process only a few months ago, and HPD raised no such concerns then. This Council has made HPD a funding priority throughout my tenure,” Waters told the Star-­Advertiser. “We expect every city department, HPD included, to be fiscally responsible, forecast more accurately, and spend wisely on behalf of taxpayers.”

The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers told the Star-Advertiser the union was not involved in discussions with the HPD on any details of the proposed redeployment plan, but “our priorities remain the same.”

“We are urging Honolulu leaders to put the investment and the urgency into retaining the over 300 officers eligible for retirement and hiring high-quality candidates to fill the 450 vacancies in the HPD. There shouldn’t be a choice between swift 911 response, backup for officers in need, and programs that build bridges with the community and solve problems in our neighborhoods,” said Jonathan Frye, SHOPO Vice President and an HPD officer.

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