Honolulu residents are being given an unusual opportunity to influence the selection of the city’s next police chief. The Honolulu Police Commission has launched a community survey and broader outreach efforts to gather public input on the leadership qualities, experience, and priorities that should guide the recruitment process. A national search firm will handle candidate screening, community engagement, and transition support, while commissioners emphasize that public manao will help shape the profile of the incoming police chief.
Consultant-led recruitment
The commission has hired Rocklin, California-based Public Sector Search & Consulting on a roughly $121,900 contract to run a four-phase selection process, according to Hawaii News Now. The firm’s scope covers discovery and community outreach, applicant screening, evaluation panels and a transition phase that includes coaching and onboarding support, a process the company outlines on its website, Public Sector Search & Consulting. Commissioners say the consultant is expected to help craft a recruitment profile that reflects both what the community is asking for and what the department says it needs.
How to weigh in
The commission has posted an anonymous community survey that asks residents to rank leadership traits and department priorities. The questionnaire notes that responses will be reviewed in aggregate and will remain open through Feb. 28, 2026. You can take the survey through the City and County of Honolulu, which lists items ranging from community-oriented policing to experience recruiting and retaining personnel. “We value the voices of our community,” commission chair Laurie Foster said, according to Hawaii News Now.
Discovery phase and timeline
The search firm told commissioners it has already entered a discovery phase and met with stakeholders including the ACLU and the city prosecutor’s office to help shape the candidate profile, work that could wrap up by early summer, per Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Public Sector Search CEO Gary Peterson told the commission that residents so far appear to be seeking “strong leadership” and clearer communication. The firm also plans to survey sworn officers and civilian staff as part of its outreach. That discovery work will feed into written job materials and the first round of applicant screening.
Local context
The search follows a turbulent stretch for HPD leadership. Former Chief Joe Logan resigned in June 2025 and later sued the city, while Interim Chief Rade Vanic has been leading the department amid vacancy and morale problems, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Officers and union leaders have pushed for a greater role in the process, earlier coverage shows, and that pressure helped drive the commission’s decision to widen community outreach (officers demand greater say). Commission members say they intend this search to be more transparent than past recruitments.
What to expect next
In the coming months the consultant will compile survey results, recruit and screen applicants, and, after assessment panels and background checks, present three to five finalists for the commission’s public review and final interviews, according to reporting by Civil Beat. The commission plans to hold community forums once finalists are named, and the consultant will assist with transition planning for the next chief. Residents who want their opinions folded into the process are being urged to complete the survey by Feb. 28 and keep an eye on commission notices for public sessions this spring.
