Crumbling concrete around the police station’s exterior in Kapolei. Raised and cracked asphalt in the parking lot at the Pearl City station. Wires protruding from light fixtures in the lawn of the department’s Honolulu headquarters. 

These are a few examples of the “dirty, run-down, degraded” condition of many Honolulu Police Department facilities, Jonathan Frye, Honolulu chapter chair of the state police union, told Civil Beat this week. 

The crumbling state of police buildings has been a recurring theme in the comments of an internal survey released last August, as well as in a recent survey of union members released this month. These infrastructure issues, along with other concerns impacting morale in the department, are resurfacing as Honolulu begins its search for a new chief.

Former Chief Joe Logan retired under pressure last month and is now suing the city and Mayor Rick Blangiardi for what he says was a wrongful termination.

“The facilities maintenance and parking accommodations are close to the condition of our morale at this point,” reads one comment from last year’s anonymous employee survey. “Our spaces are moldy, there are holes in the ceiling, leaks everywhere, doors and other security measures don’t work properly, and nothing has been upgraded in a while.”

Honolulu police Assistant Chief Aaron Takasaki-Young said the department has some capital improvement projects underway at a few of its facilities, including a $750,000 project to upgrade the ventilation system at the Kalihi station and $1.5 million project to replace the fire alarms in Kapolei. But he stressed that it takes time for the department to get funding approved, procure vendors and start construction.

“We wish we could expedite it,” he said. “But we do understand that it’s an endeavor that requires collaboration and partnership with other city agencies.”

Employees, including civilian dispatchers, have also complained about upper management doing little to address their concerns.

But with Logan’s recent departure and the search for a new leader underway, union officials see an opportunity to bring in new leadership who will challenge the status quo. They want to ensure employees have a seat at the table.  

City Council members on the Public Safety Committee passed a resolution last week urging the Honolulu Police Commission to get input from uniformed officers and civilian employees throughout the chief search.

“For too long the process to hire a chief has been done without meaningful input from those who know best, which are the men and women who are the rank and file officers of the department,” Nicholas Schlapak, treasurer of the state police union, said during last week’s committee meeting. “This resolution changes that.”

Police Commission Chair Ken Silva said commissioners did get input from employees during the last search process and he will make it a priority for this search as well. 

The city is still in the process of creating a request for proposals to solicit a consulting agency that will help with the search. 

Old Facilities And Equipment

For Frye, the department’s dilapidated buildings aren’t just eyesores, they also contribute to low morale among officers.

“We want a place that we enjoy and we’re proud of,” he said. 

Takasaki-Young said capital improvement projects are underway at multiple stations, including a more than $2 million project to update the main station on South Beretania Street in Honolulu. That project will include $1.9 million to install a canopy over the second-floor courtyard to help address leaks, $200,000 to update elevator systems and $25,000 for mechanical, electrical and plumbing improvements. 

The main station is more than 33 years old, according to city records, but Takasaki-Young noted that police facilities undergo more wear and tear than other city buildings because they are always open. 

“Those stations are used by our personnel and the community on a 24/7 basis,” he said. 

Other issues, like the department’s slow rate of procuring new equipment, can also present a safety hazard and diminish officer well-being, Frye said.  

Some comments in the 2024 survey mentioned having to pay out of pocket for uniforms. 

Frye said officers have sometimes had to pay for their own uniforms when the department’s contract with a uniform provider has lapsed. HPD currently has a contract with the tactical equipment company 5.11 and reimburses officers for uniform purchases.

But, police personnel must pay for certain accessories that aren’t covered by the department, like load-bearing vests that can be used in lieu of a hip belt to better distribute weight and prevent back injuries. Frye said the vests cost around $400, though prices vary. 

One respondent to last year’s internal survey expressed concerns about having to purchase one of the vests as well as a compatible mount for a body camera. 

“Officers have had much frustration in getting simple equipment and supplies for work and are expected to pay for many items out of pocket,” the comment says. 

Frye said many in the department are also frustrated by the lack of new police vehicles. Respondents to the 2024 survey flagged older police SUVs and motorcycles as safety concerns for officers on the road. 

“Officers are riding old motorcycles from 6 to 10 years old,” one comment says. “2018 is the newest model bikes with over 40,000. It becomes a safety issue.” 

Takasaki-Young blamed the delay in getting new vehicles on supply chain issues that have persisted since the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the department was just able to get 22 new BMW motorcycles in April that were approved for purchase in 2023. The department spent just under $1 million on the motorcycles. They were distributed to the traffic division in June. 

The department is still waiting to receive 32 new Ford Explorer SUVs that were approved for purchase in 2023 for over $2.8 million.

Union members who responded to the survey conducted by SHOPO in July say they want their next chief to be an advocate for department needs.

While a chief can’t always control how quickly new shipments of equipment come in or when buildings get fixed, Frye said having a leader who prioritizes quality of life issues for officers can help with morale.

“If we don’t have somebody constantly on top of it, things fall through the cracks,” he said.

Civilian Morale

Civilian employees also want a leader who hears their concerns, said Lakea Tjomsland, a senior emergency dispatcher in the communications division who stressed she was sharing her own opinion and not speaking on behalf of the department. 

Low morale has been plaguing the beleaguered communications department for years. While sworn officer vacancies hovered around 20% last month, civilian positions, which include dispatchers as well as records clerks, office assistants and other roles, had a 30% vacancy rate in July. 

Three to four times a week, dispatchers are required to stay four hours past their regular shifts because there aren’t enough staffers on the floor, Tjomsland said. Even though workers are earning overtime, the requirement is taking a serious toll on dispatchers’ physical and mental well-being.

“No matter what they give you, it’s not enough to take away my right to go home every single day,” she said. 

The high expectations of the job, compounded with the fact that dispatchers are not officially recognized as first responders, is contributing to burnout and low morale, she said. Because dispatchers are categorized as clerks rather than first responders, they don’t receive the same pay and benefits as officers.

“No matter what they give you, it’s not enough to take away my right to go home every single day.”  

Lakea Tjomsland, senior emergency dispatcher

An entry-level 911 emergency dispatch operator in Honolulu makes $36,072 to $53,388, while a police officer makes $75,240 to $113,028, according to Civil Beat’s public salary database.

Better pay, a retention bonus for older staffers and first responder recognition would go a long way toward making dispatchers happier with the job, Tjomsland said.

Tjomsland said she wants dispatchers to have a seat at the table during the chief selection process and wants the next leader of HPD to be someone who hears their concerns.

City Council member Andria Tupola, who introduced the resolution urging police commissioners to get more employee input throughout the chief hiring process, also stressed the importance of including civilians.

“I want to make sure that everyone that works within HPD,” she said during last week’s committee meeting, “including un-uniformed officers, also have their voices heard.”