If you ever wanted to learn more about the Honolulu Police Department’s policy on use of force, bias-based profiling or even its grooming standards, you can now do so simply by going to the agency’s website.

On Friday, the HPD announced it has uploaded each of its more than 250 policies in order to increase departmental transparency.

Honolulu Police Department headquarters on Oahu

The Honolulu Police Department’s downtown headquarters.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

For the past year, the HPD and its leadership has been under intense scrutiny for its handling of several cases, including those in which officers are alleged to have violated protocol or even broken the law. It even caused several lawmakers to introduce bills to impose reform on the department.

“Making our policies available to the public is a necessary and key component of building the community’s trust in HPD,” Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha said in a statement. “As of today, the policies will be available 24/7 on the Internet and free to anyone who wants to review them.”

While the policies cover everything from arrest procedures and drug and alcohol use to domestic violence and officer training, there are certain protocols that have been omitted from the records for security purposes.

According to an HPD press relase, those policies might include sensitive information that could “jeopardize public safety or impede an officer’s ability to respond to critical incidents.”

Click here to access the full list of policies.

About the Author