The search for the next Hawaiʻi Police Department chief is down to 11 finalists, and the final round will play out in public. The Hawaiʻi County Police Commission has scheduled in-person interviews for Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 in Kailua-Kona, inside the Council Chambers at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center. Commissioners say they plan to select a new chief at the end of the Jan. 30 session, capping months of anonymous screening as county leaders work to steady public-safety leadership on the island.
How the field was trimmed and what happens next
Roughly 40 people applied for the top job. County human resources staff determined that 27 met the minimum qualifications, and 22 of those applicants submitted detailed written questionnaires. Commissioners scored those questionnaires and, when the averages were calculated, they saw a sharp drop after applicant No. 11. They agreed to invite the top 11 to interview in person.
Candidates have until Jan. 20 to accept the invitation. Off-island applicants are expected to cover their own airfare, lodging and meals while on Hawaiʻi Island. The in-person interviews will take place during public Police Commission meetings Jan. 29 and 30 at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, according to Big Island Now.
Timeline, secrecy and vetting
Commission Chairman Rick Robinson said the commission intends to select the new chief on Jan. 30, but the public will not know who is in the running until late in the process. Applicants' identities will remain confidential "until we decide to make them public," according to Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Any offer would be contingent on a background check, a psychological exam and a polygraph test, the paper reported.
Interim chief in the mix and why the vacancy matters
Deputy Chief Reed Mahuna, who has been serving as interim chief since July, is among those who applied for the permanent position. The vacancy was created by Chief Ben Moszkowicz's departure earlier this year, and the commission opted to keep the early stages anonymous by processing applications and written responses without names attached before moving to public interviews.
County leaders and emergency officials say the next chief will have a big job in front of them, playing a critical role in recruitment and retention as well as coordinating 24-hour emergency operations across the island, as outlined by Big Island Now.
Who will be on the dais and what to expect at interviews
The commission recently installed Greg Yamada as chair and Wendy Botelho as vice chair. Some commissioners' terms are scheduled to expire at the end of December or in January, a wrinkle that could affect exactly who is seated for the two-day interview period, Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Commissioners say they will use a prepared set of topical questions for every candidate and will conduct all interviews publicly and in person.
The public is invited to attend the council-chamber sessions in Kona, and the commission has said the names of the finalists will be released before the Jan. 29 meeting. For more information about the process, residents can contact Hawaiʻi County’s Department of Human Resources or the Police Commission.
