Public Safety

Honolulu Police Officer Shoots Hālawa Man During Domestic Dispute Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Honolulu Police Officer Shoots Hālawa Man During Domestic Dispute

The man was wielding a knife and didn’t stop approaching police after being shocked with a Taser, police chief said.

A New Era Of Police Surveillance Is Coming To Hawai‘i Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

A New Era Of Police Surveillance Is Coming To Hawai‘i

Drones are already used by law enforcement for special operations, but the program coming to Waikīkī marks a major increase in police surveillance and will be the first time Hawaiʻi uses drones as first responders.

Honolulu Fireworks Citations Offer Glimpse Into Use Of New Laws Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Honolulu Fireworks Citations Offer Glimpse Into Use Of New Laws

Fireworks citations and fines were up on Oʻahu, but the jury is still out on how effective aerial drones will be.

State To Spend Millions To Replace Fire Control Systems In Honolulu, Maui David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

State To Spend Millions To Replace Fire Control Systems In Honolulu, Maui

The rental car facilities have fire suppression equipment that must be removed because it contains toxic “forever chemicals.”

A Third Of Hawai’i Could Get Criminal Records Cleared. Few Do Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

A Third Of Hawai’i Could Get Criminal Records Cleared. Few Do

The Attorney General’s Office just expunged the records of more than 1,300 Big Island residents through a pilot program. Some policymakers want to see the work expand.

Hawaiʻi Road Deaths Hit 18-Year Peak Last Year. Most Other States Dropped Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Hawaiʻi Road Deaths Hit 18-Year Peak Last Year. Most Other States Dropped

Hawaiʻi was one of just six U.S. states where the rate of road deaths in 2025 rose compared to 2024.

‘We Really Are Hurting’: Hawaiʻi Deputy Pay Lags $20K Behind Cops Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

‘We Really Are Hurting’: Hawaiʻi Deputy Pay Lags $20K Behind Cops

State law enforcement Director Mike Lambert asked lawmakers for help addressing staffing shortages while also highlighting plans to install controversial gunshot detectors in three Oʻahu neighborhoods.

Drones And Tougher Fireworks Enforcement Usher In The New Year Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Drones And Tougher Fireworks Enforcement Usher In The New Year

Several people were injured, but it was a less explosive New Year’s Eve than last year even as a new fireworks smuggling case surfaced on the Big Island.

A Fireworks Explosion Shattered Their Lives. Will Hawaiʻi Learn From It? AP Photo/Marco Garcia/2025

A Fireworks Explosion Shattered Their Lives. Will Hawaiʻi Learn From It?

A 3-year-old, a new father and a grandmother were among those killed. Witnesses are left wondering if their deaths will make a difference this year.

Hawaiʻi Building Fires Are On The Rise; Safety Inspections Aren’t Keeping Up Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Hawaiʻi Building Fires Are On The Rise; Safety Inspections Aren’t Keeping Up

Two fatal fires at the Wild Ginger Inn and the old Puʻuʻeo Poi Factory in Hilo expose gaps in the state’s fire safety inspection system.