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New DLE chief tells finance panel of 119 vacancies, pay gap with counties and multimillion‑dollar facility plans
Summary
Department of Law Enforcement representatives told the House Finance Committee the agency has roughly 119 vacancies and a starting pay gap of nearly $28,000 versus county police; they also outlined CIP facility proposals including an airport campus and central and Leeward Oahu stations.
The Department of Law Enforcement told members of the House Committee on Finance it faces significant recruitment challenges—about 119 vacant positions statewide—and that salary disparities with county police make hiring and retention difficult.
At the committee’s informational briefing the agency said deputies start with pay roughly $28,000 less than comparable county police starting pay, creating a persistent recruitment shortfall. “There’s a differential of almost $28,000 that the PD pays above what we pay. So that's a huge issue,” the director said.
Why it matters: The staffing shortages affect routine patrol, investigations and specialty programs the department is building. Committee members pressed the department for recruitment strategies and for evidence behind proposed capital projects tied to response times and operations.
Recruitment and retention steps: The department described continuous recruitments, QR‑code driven application starts at recruitment events and streamlined processing to enlarge applicant pools. The director said academy classes have been small—12 to 14 recruits—after suitability screening, and warned that filling new positions for facilities such as the Waihiwa Civic Center and courthouse complex will add to near‑term hiring demand.
CIP facility proposals and priorities: The department outlined capital improvements it says are intended to improve operational response and training. Notable items included planning and design for a state training center; a police facility at the airport area to house a special operations section, airport patrol and a cell block with overnight‑hold capability; a central‑Oahu staging facility to reduce long dispatch runs from downtown Honolulu; and a Leeward Oahu police facility to better respond to violent and agricultural crimes. The agency estimated a consultant’s initial airport‑area facility cost at $53,000,000 but proposed a $17,000,000 staged plan the department believes would meet essential needs over two years.
Committee direction and next steps: Members asked the department to provide Form A requests, the detailed budget tables and further analysis showing priorities and which items were in the governor’s budget vs. those still under consideration. The department said it will send the explosive‑enforcement Form A’s and follow up on salary‑increase placeholders and CIP planning details.
Ending: Lawmakers signaled interest in exploring funding options and asked for timely follow‑up; the agency asked for a year to fight to retain public‑works engineering positions and pledged to keep lawmakers informed on recruitment and funding progress.
