David Lazar, a retired assistant police chief from San Francisco, has been chosen as Honolulu’s next police chief. 

Five Honolulu police commissioners voted for Lazar while two voted for Mike Lambert, the director of the state Department of Law Enforcement and a former Honolulu police major. None voted for Scott Ebner, former chief of Glynn County, Georgia, who was a second-time finalist in Honolulu. 

In selecting Lazar, the commission rejected the recommendations of Mayor Rick Blangiardi, the police union and several elected officials who openly supported Lambert.

Lazar, who spent his entire career in the San Francisco department, said he wanted to help modernize the department, expand its use of technology and improve public trust and transparency. He still needs to pass an FBI background check, among other things, before becoming chief.

It’s extraordinarily unusual for the city to hire a chief from the mainland. The last time the Honolulu Police Department hired an outsider as chief was 1932, according to HPD’s website.

During his tenure in San Francisco, he helped establish that department’s Real-Time Investigation Center, which serves as a hub for police tech such as drones. He served as assistant chief for three years. Before that, he served as deputy chief of the department’s field operations and investigations bureaus as well as commander of the community engagement division, among other roles.

Lazar, who has lived in San Francisco all his life, is connected to Hawaiʻi through his wife, Julie Lazar, who is Native Hawaiian. He said he has relatives across Oʻahu.

Lazar said as outsider, he will approach the role with humility and respect for the work of Honolulu police officers. Honolulu chiefs are typically hired for five-year terms, but Lazar said he plans to be in this job for the long haul, “way past the five years.” He also wants to work on a succession plan so that future chiefs will come from inside the department.

“I want to be the last outside chief of the Honolulu Police Department,” he said. “I’m going to say that every year, because this is an opportunity to really develop the next leaders.”

Honolulu Police Commission Chair Laurie Foster said after Wednesday’s meeting that community priorities for the next chief were transformation, modernization and change, qualities she felt Lazar exemplified.

“It’s now really up to the community to embrace the new chief,” she said, “and to all of us to help the new chief become successful.”

Wearing a white lei around his neck, Lazar teared up as he spoke to reporters after the decision was made.

“Tears of joy,” he said. “Thankful to God that I have this tremendous opportunity and awesome responsibility.”

In a short video shared with the news media on Wednesday afternoon, Blangiardi congratulated Lazar and thanked the commission and its search firm.

“David Lazar is our new chief,” the mayor said. “I look forward to working with him. Congratulations, David.”

In a statement, Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters congratulated Lazar and said he looks forward to partnering with the new chief on “recruitment, officer support, public accountability, and community trust.” He thanked the commission for moving with urgency and care to hire the department’s new leader.

“The Council has high expectations for the new Chief, including managing HPD’s $350 million-plus annual budget, filling critical officer and civilian vacancies, and ensuring the department remains accountable to its Oath of Office and Code of Ethics,” Waters said.

“Just as important, law enforcement must remain rooted in service, responsibility, and a commitment to the greater good. HPD’s future depends not only on staffing and operations but also on restoring the sense of mission that attracts good people to public service.”

Overwhelming Support For Lambert

Lambert had been the overwhelming favorite among officers and elected officials.

An internal survey released by the State of Hawaiʻi Organization of Police Officers last week found nearly 90% of those surveyed supported Lambert for the job. 

In a letter sent to Honolulu Police Commission Chair Laurie Foster on Tuesday, Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Lambert’s familiarity with the community and the department set him apart from the other candidates. Lambert spent 21 years with the department before becoming state law enforcement director in January 2025. 

“Rather, it is the depth of knowledge he brings — the insight into what HPD specifically needs at this moment in time, and the focus and precision with which he articulated exactly how he would address those needs,” Blangiardi said. “In our conversation, he expertly answered every question, not in a rehearsed way, but with a level of understanding that the other candidates simply did not match.” 

In a letter signed by state Reps. Darius Kila and Cory Chun and state Sen. Rachele Lamosao, the lawmakers praised Lambert’s leadership as state law enforcement director, highlighting his efforts to crack down on illegal fireworks and commitment to traffic enforcement. 

“Beyond his professional qualifications, Director Lambert has consistently demonstrated the will, grit, and leadership necessary to navigate difficult challenges while keeping community safety at the forefront,” the letter says. “He understands enforcement, but he also understands collaboration, accountability, and the importance of public trust.” 

But multiple testifiers Wednesday voiced concerns about Lambert’s willingness to cooperate with federal immigration agents. 

Lambert told Civil Beat that while he would not partner with ICE to enforce administrative immigration violations, such as an overstayed visa or missed court hearing, he would be open to partnering with federal immigration agents on cases related to sex and drug trafficking. 

Lazar has said unequivocally he will not allow the police department to cooperate with ICE, a position that drew support from numerous immigration and police reform advocates who made it clear to the commission that was what they wanted to see in a new chief.

When asked about the overwhelming support for Lambert, Lazar said he looked forward to giving the Honolulu community a chance to get to know him. He also said he was happy to have Lambert at HPD, though he did not specify what role he might have in the command staff. Lambert announced his plans to return to HPD last month because of a retirement system issue.

“Lambert is very talented and very smart,” Lazar said. “I want him back at HPD, I want him to part of our team, and I want to best utilize his talents.”

Concerns About Process

Scott Ebner was a second-time finalist in Honolulu. He spent 27 years with the New Jersey State Police and most recently served as police chief in Glynn County, Georgia. Civil Beat reported Sunday that Ebner left that job while under investigation. However, he denied the existence of the investigation during a one-on-one interview with Civil Beat and failed to disclose it to the consulting firm hired to help the commission with the hiring process. 

Some community members expressed concern that the investigation into Ebner wasn’t revealed by the search firm. Several testifiers asked the Police Commission to start the entire search process over with a new consulting firm.

In a letter to the police commission, Carrie Ann Shirota, a member of the Hawaii Community Safety Coalition, urged the commission to postpone its selection. 

She said she didn’t feel the public had been given enough opportunity to voice their opinions and she took issue with the fact that commissioners interviewed the candidates in private this week. The interviews were conducted by just two commissioners at a time, which meant the meetings weren’t subject to the Hawai’i Sunshine Law. 

“The public deserves an open, transparent vetting process of finalists and an opportunity to weigh in on the selection of the next HPD Chief,” she said. “The process, to date, has fallen short of achieving those goals.” 

The search started last year after former Chief Joe Logan stepped down in June. The commission hired California-based Public Sector Search and Consulting Inc. for $121,900 in January. 

More than 41 people applied for the job. The search firm screened the applicants and passed its recommendations and feedback along to the commission.

Commissioners narrowed the recommended candidates down to six semi-finalists, who were interviewed privately by four panels. The panels consisted of government representatives, City Council members, first responders and heads of local nonprofits and advocacy organizations. 

Panelists were given lists of questions to ask the candidates — some of which were written by the consulting company — and after each interview they shared their feedback with commissioners. Panelists were asked not to share any information about the interviews publicly.  

During Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners hailed the search process as a success.

“We tried to make this process as inclusive as possible, as extensive as possible, as professional as possible and as transparent as possible,” Foster said.