Honolulu PD Creating Child Care Program to Attract, Keep Officers

The Honolulu Police Department, city leaders and union officials are collaborating to recruit and retain officers as vacancies have hit an all-time high.

According to HPD’s Human Resources Division, as of July 1 there were 465 vacancies for uniformed officers and 189 civilian openings—and 228 officers eligible for retirement.

Recruiting and retaining police officers is a challenge nationwide as attitudes toward the profession shift and job seekers prioritize work-life balance.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police surveyed 1, 118 police departments last year, and more than 70 % of respondents reported that recruitment is more difficult now than it was five years ago.

Respondents said that resignation is most likely within the “first five years of hire ” and that retaining officers during the recruit /training phase may be more challenging than retaining officers long term.

On average, law enforcement agencies nationwide are operating at about 91 % of their authorized staffing levels, indicating a nearly 10% deficit, according to the IACP study.

HPD had 1,712 officers as of July 1 with 2,177 uniformed officer positions funded by the budget, about a 22% deficit.

HPD Maj. Parker Bode, who manages the, told the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser that the department’s top staffing priority is maintaining public safety, responding to calls and ensuring no services are cut.

When filling vacancies in each district, the department prioritizes filling funded positions that have been open the longest.

Police officers, already faced with the daily prospect of dangerous situations that may turn deadly in an instant, are under more stress than ever before, and it is taking a toll and discouraging recruits.

“Officers have to do more than they had to do in the past. They are (law ) enforcer, counselor, social worker … it impacts them, ” said Bode, a second-generation police officer whose father served for 30 years with HPD.

When current staffing shortages threaten service, commanders in each of the eight patrol districts have the ability to shift staffing in real time to meet emerging needs.

HPD leadership monitors staffing in each patrol district, pulls officers from support units, authorizes overtime and has the ability to adjust staffing as needed.

Countering the "Great Resignation"

The “Great Resignation ” that occurred nationwide after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted careers in law enforcement, retail and other people-serving sectors of the workforce.

HPD is seeing officers retire as soon as they reach 25 years of service, a trend they hope to reverse through the exploration of retention bonuses.

Pay is important, Bode said. It “shows people how much they are valued.”

So far this year, 18 officers have retired, 16 resigned, two were fired and four others were discharged as of July 1.

Last year, 74 police officers, one reserve officer and 18 civilian employees retired. In 2023, 68 officers and 10 civilian employees retired ; in 2022, 68 officers, three reserve officers and 20 civilian workers retired.

Those numbers were down from the COVID-19 period that saw 93 officers and 36 civilian employees retire in 2021, and 81 officers, one reserve officer and 11 civilian employees retire in 2020.

In 2019, 83 officers, five reserve officers and 15 civilian employees retired.

HPD leadership is also moving forward with plans to develop a child care program aimed at supporting employees.

In a recent department-­wide survey, 94% of respondents expressed that employees need assistance accessing child care services, according to a July 18 news release.

“By investing in our current workforce and the future generation of employees, we could enhance recruitment, retention and employee wellness, ultimately contributing to a safer community,” said Bode.

Eighty-six percent said providing child care serv ­ices or financial assistance would significantly benefit HPD’s recruitment and retention efforts.

“These men and women are the lifeblood of HPD, ” said Acting Police Chief Rade K. Vanic. “They’re our family, and we have to take care of them like family. The safety of the community is all of our responsibility, and when they’re stronger, we’re all stronger.”

"Frontline positions" needed

The 465 vacancies come at a time of turmoil for the department. Vanic was named interim police chief after Arthur “Joe ” Logan said he was forced to retire by Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who tried to replace him with his hand-picked successor. Logan is suing Blangiardi and the city alleging whistleblower retaliation and accusing Blangiardi of threatening him and his family if he didn’t quit.

Bode said every role in the department is critical, from officers to civilian employees. The greatest uniformed officer need right now is in patrol, “frontline positions ” for officers who “respond to calls for service and interact with the public everyday.”

Bode noted “real progress ” with a trio of recruitment programs that launched in the first quarter of 2024 and are beginning to pull people into HPD.

There are the Pathways Internship Program for college seniors, the Police Services Officer Program for individuals not yet meeting the minimum age requirement and the SkillBridge Program for transitioning or retiring members of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“In our most recent recruit class this July, we had three college interns, three Police Services Officers and one SkillBridge intern successfully transition into the police academy. It was our largest recruit class since 2021. Looking ahead to the next class in October, we’re hopeful that several more interns will follow the same path, ” said Bode.

In 2016, HPD was short 175 positions, a number that grew every year, save for 2019 and 2021, until it reached 437 vacancies last year, a 250 % increase. HPD had 175 open slots for uniformed officers in 2016, 190 in 2017, 251 in 2018, 249 in 2019, 323 in 2020, 291 in 2021 and 362 in 2022.

Civilian vacancies are also a concern, . As of July 1, HPD had 189 civilian vacancies out of 600 budgeted positions.

A staffing task force created June 4 by a resolution from Council Vice Chair Andria Tupola has 180 days to come up with a written plan for how to fund, legislate and facilitate a surge in HPD staffing.

In July, to its West Oahu patrol district, which spans, to address a 24 % increase in calls for service and a surge in shootings and violent crime.

The influx of officers brings the district’s staffing total from 160 to 172. The goal of the increase in officers is to improve response times and neighborhood coverage starting in November.

Led by the City Council, the task force is made up of elected officials, city staff, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers and Hawaii Government Employees Association representatives and one Portland Police Bureau officer who specializes in recruitment and retention.

Tupola’s Resolution 160 claims HPD’s persistent staffing shortage “resulted in inadequate police coverage across Oahu, increased emergency response times, unmanageable caseloads for police detectives, and increased safety risks for both officers and the public.”

In an interview with the Star-Advertiser, Tupola said the number of officers in her district of West Oahu and islandwide is not enough and “hasn’t been in a while.”

Tupola’s resolution that created the task force noted that HPD does not spend all of its appropriated money each fiscal year.

In fiscal year 2024, HPD’s patrol division let about $15 million in funding lapse. HPD also let $50 million of its fiscal year 2024 appropriation lapse.

Building a plan

Tupola said she is excited to work for the next 180 days with the task force to come up with a written plan, which could be used to justify restoring the $50 million that lapsed for recruiting and retention efforts.

“I don’t care what kind of ideas people have, you are not going to get there without a written plan, ” said Tupola.

Tupola said the short staffing is forcing officers to work outside of their assigned roles to complete basic policing tasks like report writing and booking suspects.

In her district, if a patrol officer arrests a suspect in Waianae, they have to drive to Kapolei and book them themselves and fill out the required paperwork. That takes officers off the road, removes the visual deterrent of a police presence and slows response times.

Tupola said it is not safe for the officers to respond to calls knowing they don’t have enough backup, and with a shortage of dispatchers, that critical communication and coordination piece is delayed and sometimes unavailable.

“If nobody is answering at dispatch, you have to figure that out. You can’t respond to the next call. That’s what I’m concerned about ; by having so few officers, they basically have to do every part of the process, ” said Tupola, who represents West Oahu. “We are taking officers off the road for hours at a time ; sometimes our (patrol District 8 ) major has to go respond to calls because she is filling in for a patrol officer.”

Jonathan Frye, , told the Star-Advertiser that every month, “we continue to lose more officers than we gain, and that impact is real.”

“Neighborhood police beats across the city go vacant daily, response times for 911 or officer needs help calls take longer, and services like proactive policing can’t get done with the number of officers we have, ” said Frye. “Unfortunately, the response to this crisis has languished for three years. Immediate steps must be taken to retain veteran officers now, attract new officers now, and we must look at what’s needed to deliver police services moving forward most effectively.”

An HPD career A recruit accepted to HPD’s Ke Kula Makai academy earns a base salary of $76, 008 a year that rises to $83, 912 if the standard-­of-conduct bonus is met.

A metropolitan police officer, after successfully completing the training and probationary period, starts earning $79, 008 a year and up to $86, 912 if they earn the conduct bonus.

Additional pay might include night differential, overtime at 1.5 times the base hourly rate, meal allowance for overtime work, subsidized vehicle allowance and hazard pay.

“After accruing credible years of service, (officers ) receive automatic step increases as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, ” according to HPD’s recruiting website. “Max base salary for (patrol officers ) can range up to $118, 680 ($126, 584 including the conduct bonus ).”​

Bode said joining HPD is a meaningful “opportunity to build real relationships with the community and make a lasting impact.”

“On top of that, the benefits are impressive—starting with a salary of over $83, 000 while attending the academy. Officers also receive 21 days each of paid vacation and sick leave annually, education reimbursement, full medical and dental coverage and retirement benefits, ” said Bode.

Anyone applying to join the force should be aware of the qualifications, Bode said, and prepare accordingly. HPD considers the totality of an applicants attributes, record and resume when making hiring decisions.

Applicants should be “honest and transparent from the very beginning.”

A police entrance exam study guide is on HPD’s recruitment website, , to help applicants become familiar with the test format and to prepare effectively.

HPD also offers a physical fitness prep class designed to help applicants successfully pass the Physical Readiness Assessment.

Recruits should be ready for the Physical Readiness Assessment components : agility run, 300-meter run, pushups, situps, and a 1.5-mile run.

“Physically train for the Physical Readiness Assessment with a balanced workout that includes cardio and strength training, ” Bode said. “Treat every step in the process like a job interview.”

Dress appropriately for each step, Bode recommended.

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