Public Safety

More Like Cops Than Clerks? 911 Dispatchers Push For Recognition As First Responders Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

More Like Cops Than Clerks? 911 Dispatchers Push For Recognition As First Responders

A bill before Congress would remove the clerical label and classify dispatchers as a “protective service occupation,” empowering them to negotiate for better pay and benefits.

Car Insurance, Speed Cameras And Slow Drivers Caught Lawmakers’ Attention This Session Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Car Insurance, Speed Cameras And Slow Drivers Caught Lawmakers’ Attention This Session

The cost of auto insurance could soon be going up for thousands of Hawaii drivers.

37 Fires Along One Maui Road This Year Alone Have Residents Of Nearby Town On Edge Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024

37 Fires Along One Maui Road This Year Alone Have Residents Of Nearby Town On Edge

In the aftermath of the Lahaina tragedy, officials are stepping up efforts to protect Paia and other areas considered at high risk.

The Miske Trial: Testimony Ties Mike Miske To A Robbery Gone Bad In Which A Young Man Died Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

The Miske Trial: Testimony Ties Mike Miske To A Robbery Gone Bad In Which A Young Man Died

The organized crime trial continues with witnesses laying out the defendant’s involvement in specific criminal cases.

Neighborhood Boards To Get Active Shooter Training After Alarming Incident At Meeting  Screenshot/2024

Neighborhood Boards To Get Active Shooter Training After Alarming Incident At Meeting 

Members of the Kalihi-Palama board said they were upset by what turned out to be a man breaking a glass window, sparking a conversation about safety.

Corrections Commission ‘Taken Aback’ By  Use Of Restraint Chairs In Kauai Jail Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Corrections Commission ‘Taken Aback’ By Use Of Restraint Chairs In Kauai Jail

The Kauai jail and two other facilities in Hawaii have the chairs, which require high levels of force to immobilize inmates and can be dangerous if not used properly.

Maui’s Recent Wildfires Convinced The County Council That The Emergency Budget Needs Beefing Up Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024

Maui’s Recent Wildfires Convinced The County Council That The Emergency Budget Needs Beefing Up

Members emphasized the importance of protecting the county from another tragedy like Lahaina that took at least 101 lives and destroyed much of the town.

Mayor Officially Begins Process Of Giving Ocean Safety Its Own Department Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Mayor Officially Begins Process Of Giving Ocean Safety Its Own Department

Officials had been debating for weeks between two procedural options.

Maui Council Wants To Fund Recruitment And Retention For Understaffed Police Department Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024

Maui Council Wants To Fund Recruitment And Retention For Understaffed Police Department

Police Chief John Pelletier said he can start a signing bonus program for recruits with an extra $300,000 to his $83 million budget for fiscal year 2025.

A Dispute Between The AG And Honolulu Prosecutor Is Playing Out In The Senate Screenshot/2024

A Dispute Between The AG And Honolulu Prosecutor Is Playing Out In The Senate

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm quit taking minor criminal cases generated by state law enforcement last year.