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Committee amends and advances resolution to include rank-and-file and civilian input in police chief selection
Summary
Committee amended Resolution 25-2-22 to expressly incorporate input from rank-and-file officers and civilian employees in the Honolulu Police Department’s chief selection process; the committee also received a timeline briefing from the Police Commission vice chair on hiring a search firm.
The Honolulu City Council Committee on Public Safety and Economy on Aug. 21 amended and advanced Resolution 25-2-22 to urge the Honolulu Police Commission to improve its chief-of-police selection process by implementing a transparent, comprehensive vetting process that incorporates input from rank-and-file officers and civilian employees.
Laurie Foster, vice chair of the Honolulu Police Commission and the commission’s search lead, told the committee the commission supports improving the selection process and has consulted five national search firms that specialize in police chief searches. Foster described a multi-phase process that begins with discovery and stakeholder engagement, proceeds to active sourcing and screening, and typically brings three to five finalists to Hawaii for in-depth stakeholder evaluation.
Foster said the commission is working through the city’s Bureau of Financial Services request-for-proposal process and hopes to contract a search firm by November. She said search firms advised a minimum of four months and up to six months to complete a search once under contract, and that the holidays may affect schedule; the commission’s realistic target for the final phase is March.
Rank-and-file officers and union representatives spoke in support of the amended resolution. Nick Schlapak, state board treasurer for SHOPO and a 17-year HPD veteran, said the measure “gives frontline police officers a real chance to have their voices heard” and urged the council to ensure officer input will be used in hiring. Jonathan Fry, SHOPO’s Honolulu chapter chair and a 15-year HPD veteran, said the previous selection process lacked transparency and left officers “uncertain of what their future held.”
Council Member Tupala moved the verbal amendment to add “and civilian employees” so the title and clauses include both rank-and-file officers and civilian HPD employees; Council Member Weier seconded. The chair recommended the resolution as amended (ACD1) be reported out for adoption; there were no objections and the recommendation was ordered.
Why it matters: County police leadership affects departmental operations, morale and public safety. The commission told the committee it is aiming for a methodical, stakeholder-driven process rather than a quick selection.
What’s next: The Police Commission expects to complete RFP steps with city procurement, contract a search firm (hoping by November) and conduct a multi-month recruitment and vetting process that could conclude its finalist phase by March.
