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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.