The Hawaii County Police Commission's search for a new police chief has evolved beyond typical hiring protocol into a heated debate about immigration enforcement and local representation. Community members are using the selection process to confront policies that have left lasting tensions across the Big Island.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the top concern among testifiers was ensuring the next police chief does not enter into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These concerns follow federal raids on coffee farms and the removal of a first-grade student from Honduras at Konawaena Elementary School.
Immigration Arrests Surge Under New Administration
The timing coincides with unprecedented immigration enforcement activity across Hawaii. Honolulu Civil Beat reported a 585% increase in immigration arrests from January 20 through June 10, compared to 2024. This represents one of the highest percentage increases in the nation.
Video obtained by Hawaii News Now shows immigration enforcement officers at a Kona coffee farm in March, where a mother and three children were detained, as detailed by Civil Beat. The coffee industry, which relies heavily on Latin American immigrant labor, has been particularly impacted with the harvest season approaching.
Chief's Controversial Departure
Ben Moszkowicz remains nominally the Big Island's police chief but is on vacation until August 31, his final day in the position. His departure followed a dramatic sequence after he submitted his resignation when Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi recommended him for interim chief on Oahu, according to Civil Beat.
On June 26, Moszkowicz issued an apology calling his resignation decision "premature" and reiterating his commitment to the county. However, community members and state police union members remained unsatisfied, with many testifying against the chief over both the resignation issue and immigration cooperation policies.
Strong Push for Local Hiring
The commission meeting revealed significant support for local candidates. Commissioners Wendy Botelho and Lloyd Enriquez, who voted to reject Moszkowicz's attempt to rescind his resignation, emphasized the importance of hiring locally, as reported by the Star-Advertiser.
When Deputy Corporation Counsel Sinclair Salas-Ferguson mentioned the commission could waive the requirement for applicants to be Hawaii residents for at least a year, Botelho firmly replied she didn't want it waived. Community member Patti Cook of Waimea urged prioritizing local hiring, specifically someone "from this island who understands the difference between Milolii and Kalapana and Niulii."
Challenging Search Environment
The search faces additional complications as Honolulu and Kauai counties conduct simultaneous police chief searches. Three of Hawaii's four counties are searching for police chiefs, creating an unprecedented situation, as KHON2 noted, "national policing is ramping up while many local police leaders remain undetermined."
Advertisements for the position were published over four Sundays in local newspapers, including the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, West Hawaii Today, and Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The position was also posted online throughout most of August, according to commission officials.
The Hawaii County Police Department serves the Big Island's 185,079 residents across 4,028 square miles of varied terrain, as noted by Wikipedia. Moszkowicz was appointed chief in December 2022, coming from the Honolulu Police Department, where he served as a major in the Traffic Division.
With the search now underway, the commission faces the challenging task of finding a permanent chief who can navigate community preferences for local representation while addressing ongoing tensions over federal immigration cooperation—all while competing against simultaneous searches in other counties for qualified candidates.
