Council backs targeted HPD retention and referral bonuses; HPD asks flexibility

The Budget Committee considered a series of targeted retention initiatives for the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) at its March 30 hearing, as council members sought to shore up personnel amid recurring vacancies and multi‑million dollar budget lapses.

Major Ryan Hiranaka, speaking for HPD, reiterated the department’s opposition to broad salary reductions beyond the mayor’s proposal and cautioned against inflexible provisos attached to supplemental funds. "The department respectfully opposes any reductions to our salaries beyond what was proposed in the mayor's budget," he said. HPD also asked that provisos not be attached to funds meant for recruitment and retention, citing a need for operational flexibility.

Council Member Tupala, who sponsored many of the retention‑related amendments, argued the proposed provisions target immediate retention levers: five‑year $5,000 retention payments to long‑service personnel across multiple divisions, a $80,000 referral bonus pool to pay up to $2,000 per successful referral, expansion of community policing teams and a $480,000 civilian parking stipend for dispatchers.

HPD reported lapses decreased from an outlier ~$50 million in FY24 to about $23 million in FY25 and said it is working to reduce lapses through earlier procurement and project starts. Council members emphasized accountability: they want clearer line‑item tracking so future lapses do not repeatedly reappear.

Next steps: the committee advanced the bill to CD1; the dispute over provisos versus flexible departmental control of funds is likely to reappear before final adoption.