As expected, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers has just endorsed former Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell in his bid for the city’s top job.

SHOPO also endorsed Caldwell in 2010.

At the press conference announcing the endorsement, SHOPO President Tenari Maafala said the union has an open-door policy for all candidates and interviewed Ben Cayetano before deciding Caldwell was the right man for the job.

Maafala said sitting Mayor Peter Carlisle didn’t call, write or otherwise reach out for a conversation. Carlisle has drawn the ire of the union for pushing for pay cuts. The union’s been working without a new contract for more than six months.

Caldwell said he would fight to make sure police officers in Honolulu get a fair wage compared to other officers across the country. He stopped just short of promising that he’d make concessions on the union contract.

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