Incoming Honolulu police chief David Lazar, the mainland leader tapped by the Honolulu Police Commission in late May, says he plans to land on Oʻahu on Sunday, June 14 and start onboarding the very next day as a department “volunteer” while his background check and physical exams wrap up. He told commissioners this week that he will jump into leadership training and meet with city officials ahead of a swearing-in targeted for early July, a quick-turn timetable for a department already wrestling with staffing shortages and morale problems.
According to Hawaii News Now, Lazar, who is currently in California, plans to arrive on Oʻahu on Sunday, June 14 and then be “considered a volunteer” on Monday, June 15 while he “learns the ropes” and meets people across the department. He cannot officially assume the chief’s duties until his FBI background check clears and he passes required physical examinations, although he is aiming for a swearing in sometime in early July, Hawaii News Now reported.
The Police Commission selected Lazar in a 5-2 vote in late May, choosing the retired San Francisco assistant chief over two other finalists. That decision makes him the first outsider to lead HPD in more than 90 years, according to Civil Beat. Lazar has outlined plans to modernize operations, expand the department’s use of policing technology and rebuild public trust. The choice divided some city leaders and labor groups, since the mayor and the police union had publicly backed a different finalist, Civil Beat reported.
Timeline and training
At a recent commission meeting, Lazar said Assistant Chief Nishibun has already lined up leadership training for him, including a five-hour online “Leadership Island style” course that he will take live on Zoom, according to Hawaii News Now. He told commissioners he has been meeting remotely with council members, other county chiefs and federal partners such as the FBI while he sorts out housing arrangements, and that he is waiting to hear back on a rental application for a unit within a mile of HPD headquarters.
What this means for HPD
Lazar will take over a department dealing with vacancies, aging infrastructure and low morale. Council Chair Tommy Waters told Civil Beat he expects the incoming chief to move quickly on recruitment, accountability and oversight of HPD’s more than $350 million annual budget. Police rank-and-file had strongly preferred a different finalist in internal surveys, and the union pushed for an insider who could hit the ground running, Civil Beat reported. How fast Lazar fills critical posts and rebuilds trust will likely be the measure of whether the commission’s outside-the-department pick delivers.
Lazar’s planned arrival next Sunday, followed by his volunteer onboarding on Monday, starts a tight countdown. If his background check and physicals clear, a July swearing in looks realistic; if they do not, the department will continue under interim leadership while vetting and negotiations play out. Honolulu residents and city leaders are expected to scrutinize his early personnel moves and contract terms as the transition unfolds.
