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Task force presents menu of recruitment and retention proposals as Honolulu wrestles with HPD vacancies
Summary
A council task force presented a report showing sharp increases in HPD vacancies and a low hiring yield; recommendations range from a $2,000 referral bonus and a proposed $500 monthly housing stipend to technology investments and a special recruitment fund. Councilmembers said they will prioritize lower‑cost items and seek data on a $25,000 hiring incentive.
Councilmember Tupala, chair of the Honolulu Police Department staffing and retention task force, told the Committee of Public Safety and Economy on Jan. 15 that the city faces a continuing shortfall in sworn and civilian personnel and offered a menu of recommendations to boost hiring and retain staff.
"We wanted to review data, recruitment and separation trends, retirement eligibility, employee feedback, along with national practices used by other law enforcement agencies," Tupala said during the informational briefing. The report, available as council communication 251‑2025, shows 2,177 authorized HPD positions and a roughly 41% increase in vacancies between 2021 and 2023.
Why it matters: The task force framed its report as a set of possible interventions the council and administration can select from rather than a single comprehensive package. The recommendations aim to address three problems the task force identified: low conversion of applicants into hires, rising retirements among both sworn and civilian staff, and organizational culture concerns.
Key findings and recommendations
- Hiring yield and applicant attrition: "In 2024, HPD received 2,136 applications," Tupala said. "Only 98 officers were hired, resulting in an overall yield of about 4%." The task force cited analysis…
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