Honolulu Police Department
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The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is the principal
law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws. Jurisdiction LEAs which have their ability to apply their powers restricted in some way are said to operate within a jurisdiction. LEAs ...
of the
City and County of Honolulu Honolulu County (officially known as the City and County of Honolulu, formerly Oahu County) is a consolidated city–county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The city–county includes both the city of Honolulu (the state's capital and largest city ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in
Honolulu CDP Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
. Officially recognized as a part of the government of the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
in 1846, the
police department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...
serves the entire island of
O'ahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O’ ...
(which is coextensive with the City and County of Honolulu), covering over of territory, with just over 900,000 residents (not including military members) and over four million annual visitors. The island is divided into 8 patrol districts which are then subdivided into sectors and beats. HPD currently has more than 2,500 employees, 2,134 of which are full-time sworn officers. A 2003 Department of Justice report listed HPD as the 20th largest police department in the nation. Unlike the other 49 states, Hawaii does not have a
state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
agency ''
per se Per se may refer to: * '' per se'', a Latin phrase meaning "by itself" or "in itself". * Illegal ''per se'', the legal usage in criminal and antitrust law * Negligence ''per se'', legal use in tort law * Per Se (restaurant), a New York City restaur ...
'' or individual city agencies; law enforcement is the
jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Jur ...
of the individual county governments. HPD is nationally accredited by the
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) is a credentialing authority (accreditation), based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredit public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, trai ...
and received the CALEA TRI-ARC Excellence Award from them in 2006.


History


Predecessors

In 1840, the Supreme Court of
Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name is Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...
established the first constitution for the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
. The constitution paved the way for the ''Act to Organize the Executive Departments of the Government'' signed on April 27, 1846. The law created the office of marshal of the kingdom, the highest ranking police officer in the Hawaiian nation. He nominated, instructed, supervised and controlled the sheriffs of the kingdom of which there were four, one for each administrative region of
Kaua'i Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
,
O'ahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O’ ...
, Mau'i and
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. Each sheriff administered a corps of constables officially appointed by the four royal governors. Constables wore a distinct police insignia that consisted of a scarlet crown with the initials ''KIII'' in honor of Kamehameha III. The insignia was worn on the arm and on a red band on their police hats. In 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown by the
Provisional Government of Hawaii The Provisional Government of Hawaii (abbr.: P.G.; Hawaiian: ''Aupuni Kūikawā o Hawaiʻi'') was proclaimed after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17, 1893, by the 13-member Committee of Safety under the leadership of its ch ...
which quickly deposed the marshal of the kingdom and dissolved the constabulary. In 1894, the newly proclaimed
Republic of Hawaii The Republic of Hawaii ( Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'') was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had ended, and August 12, 1898, when it became annexed by the United State ...
formed its own police system. After a few years under the governance of the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, four county governments were established out of the original administrative regions of the monarchy. In 1905, each county established a police department led by an appointed sheriff. Police officers wore an
octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...
-shaped police badge similar in appearance to those of other police departments of the period. In the 1920s the badge was redesigned with an eagle on top. In Hawaii, the Office of Sheriff falls under the Sheriff Division of the
Hawaii Department of Public Safety The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is a department within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is headquartered in the 919 Ala Moana Boulevard building in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Department of Public Safety is m ...
. It is the functional equivalent of a state police department and has the distinction of making Hawaii the only U.S. state without an officially named state police department and one of two with a statewide Sheriff's Department (the other being Rhode Island). Although the Sheriff Division's jurisdiction covers the entire state, its primary functions are judicial and executive protection, security at the
Hawaii State Capitol The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of the U.S. state of Hawaii. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state. The Hawaii State Legislature—com ...
, law-enforcement at Hawaii's airports,
narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
enforcement, prisoner transportation, the processing and service of court orders and warrants, and patrol of certain roads and waterways in conjunction with other state agencies. Additional statewide law enforcement is provided by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) which patrols State lands, State Parks, historic sites, forest reserves, aquatic life and wildlife areas, coastal zones, Conservation districts, State beaches, as well as county ordinances involving county parks. The division also enforces laws relating to firearms, ammunition, and dangerous weapons. DLNR officers have full police powers.


Establishment

In response to a crime wave in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a combined result of increased racial tensions between whites and local ethnics and the outcome of the
Massie case The Massie Trial, for what was known as the Massie Affair, was a 1932 criminal trial that took place in Honolulu, Hawaii Territory. Socialite Grace Fortescue, along with several accomplices, was charged with the murder of the well-known local prizef ...
involving too much political influence on the Police, Territorial Governor
Lawrence M. Judd Lawrence McCully Judd (March 20, 1887 – October 4, 1968) was a politician of the Territory of Hawaii, serving as the seventh Governor of Hawaii, Territorial Governor. Judd is most well-known for his role in Massie Trial, the Massie Affair, ...
appointed a ''Governor's Advisory Committee on Crime''. The committee recommended that a
police commission A police board is an appointed form of local government charged with the responsibility of overseeing a local police force. In the United States, the term is used for some police departments. For example, the Chicago Police Board oversees the Ch ...
be appointed by the mayor of Honolulu whose duty would be to appoint a
chief of police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...
and to supervise the operating of the police department. The committee also advised that the office of sheriff should be retained and charged with the duty of serving civil process, of maintaining the Honolulu prison system and to act as coroner. On January 22, 1932, a special session of the territorial legislature passed Act 1, establishing the Honolulu Police Commission and creating the office of chief of police. Thus was born the modern Honolulu Police Department as it exists today.


Martial law

After the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
on December 7, 1941, Territorial Governor
Joseph B. Poindexter Joseph Boyd Poindexter (April 14, 1869 – December 3, 1951) was the eighth Territorial Governor of Hawaii and served from 1934 to 1942. Early life Joseph Boyd Poindexter was born in Canyon City, Oregon to Thomas W. and Margaret Pipkin Poin ...
declared
martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
and Hawaii fell under military governance under the
Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called jud ...
. The Honolulu Police Department became a deputized military force. The word "Emergency" was etched above the "Honolulu" on the seven-point star badges of police officers. For the duration of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Honolulu Police Department was forced to impose restrictions on civil liberties and hand people over for trial by a military judge. Martial law ended after the end of the war in 1945. The
San José State Spartans The San Jose State Spartans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San José State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Mountain West Conference (MW) at the NCAA Division I level, with football competing in the Football ...
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team served with the Honolulu Police Department for the duration of World War II; the team had played a game against the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Warriors, but were stranded in Hawaii after the Pearl Harbor attack.


Modernization

The first instance of modernization came in 1952 with the introduction of the Honolulu Police Department's current badge. It was designed by
Detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
Alfred Karratti and embodies Hawaiian tradition and culture in its motifs. One feature that
Detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
Karratti kept was the use of the ''
Pūloʻuloʻu Pūloʻuloʻu, often called "kapu sticks", are symbols denoting the kapu of Hawaiian aliʻi (chiefs or royals) and symbolizing the deceased ancestors of the aliʻi. They are traditional symbols of authority which are used in modern times includin ...
'' or ''kapu'' staffs. They are symbols of
law and order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...
from
ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...
. In 1976 Sister Roberta Julie Derby became the first female police chaplain in the U.S. and would later go on to win the medal of valor for defusing a hostage situation. The most aggressive programs of modernization for the Honolulu Police Department came in the 1990s. It was furnished with a fleet of new
Ford Crown Victoria The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Ford ...
police car A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols a ...
s equipped with on-board computers and a fleet of BMW
police motorcycle A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by police and law enforcement. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States. Units t ...
s. Officers also have the choice of using their own private vehicle for law enforcement duties as part of a subsidized program. The vehicle has sirens installed and removable blue police light which is put on the roof of the officers' car. On October 16, 1992, the Honolulu Police Department opened its multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art police headquarters in
downtown Honolulu Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the nor ...
. The building was called ''Hale Maka'i'' and featured the latest technical advances of its time including a DNA crime lab unit, one of the first of its kind in the nation.


Corruption and misconduct

In October 2015, a former HPD officer was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for an "unprovoked attack" on two men in a game room. In 2016, a retired police officer pleaded guilty to lying under oath as part of a conspiracy to frame a man for stealing a mailbox from the home of Police Chief Louis Kealoha. In 2017, Chief Louis Kealoha retired from the police department amid an FBI investigation into corruption and conspiracy. In June 2019, a jury in federal court convicted Kealoha (along with his wife Katherine and two Honolulu police officers) of using their law enforcement positions in an attempt "to frame Katherine Kealoha's uncle for stealing the couple's mailbox in 2013" and subsequently lying to federal investigators. The Kealohas pleaded guilty in October 2019 to financial crimes arising from the mailbox theft (specifically bank fraud and
identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was co ...
);Victoria Talbot
Katherine and Louis Kealoha's sentencing postponed over coronavirus concerns
''Honolulu Star Advertiser'' (March 16, 2020).
two others were convicted in connection to the same case. In November 2020, Louis Kealoha was sentenced to serve 8 years in federal prison. Due to precautions related to the concurrent
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Louis Kealoha was allowed to start his sentence in April 2021. His wife, Katherine, received a sentence of 13 years. In 2018, Lieutenant Eric Yiu, a veteran detective who investigated financial crimes, was indicted on six felony counts of making false statements on his state
tax return A tax return is the completion of documentation that calculates an entity or individual's income earned and the amount of taxes to be paid to the government or government organizations or, potentially, back to the taxpayer. Taxation is one of ...
s. He pleaded guilty in March 2019, as part of a plea agreement, to filing fraudulent tax returns for three years, and May 2019, he was ordered to pay $11,654 for tax evasion, but avoided jail.


Patrol vehicles

The Honolulu Police Department has several new vehicles including the Ford Explorer Police Interceptor the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor as well as Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry and a few Crown Victorias still in use even though it is no longer produced. HPD marked vehicles are white. The Honolulu Police Department is one of the two police departments in the state of Hawaii, the other being Hawaii County Police on "the big island," to offer a subsidized vehicle program for officers of certain seniority. Officers are permitted to purchase a vehicle for police patrol and for personal usage of any make and model, however it must be approved by the chief and must meet certain police department guidelines. The vehicles are unmarked and the officers receive payment for taking care of the vehicle including fuel payment. Although they are unmarked they can be easily identified by a small blue LED light on the roof of the vehicles. They are also equipped with sirens to be used for on duty only. Hawaii is the only US state in which police officers are permitted to use personal vehicles for official police businesses.


Rank structure and insignia

The Honolulu Police Department follows a paramilitary-like ranking structure. The ranks are identified as follows: Officers may have stars located on the right-side chest area of their uniform above their name tag. These do not indicate rank: each star represents five years of service with the Honolulu Police Department. All uniformed emergency response personnel in the State of Hawaii generally follow this practice, although it does not carry on from one agency to the next.


Districts

The Honolulu Police Department has 5 stations, 5 substations and Police Headquarters located in central Honolulu Alapai Police HQ. * District 1 covers central and downtown Honolulu along with Chinatown * District 2 covers Wahiawa - Mililani, Schofield Barracks, Waialua and Waimea * District 3 covers Pearl City - Aloha Stadium, Pearl Harbor, Aiea, Pearl City and Waipahu * District 4 covers Kaneohe, Kailua and Kahuku * District 5 covers Kalihi - Alewa, Nuuanu, Fort Shafter, Salt Lake, Airport and Hickam * District 6 covers Waikiki * District 7 covers east Honolulu * District 8 covers Kapolei


Honolulu Police Specialized Services Division

The Honolulu Police Specialized Services Division is a special tactical and task force. HPD SSD members have several roles such as SWAT responding to high risk calls, hostage rescues, dealing with an fugitive or a dangerous criminals and barricaded subjects. They are also tasked with protection of head of states and work alongside other law enforcement local, state and federal to apprehend any criminals surrounding the island of Oahu The Bomb Squad is tasked with responding to any calls related to IED and properly disposing, defuse the device. They are trained in detecting and proper handling of explosive materials from fireworks, commercial and IEDs including military grade explosives. They train with federal agencies and the US Military. The Canine Unit- Officers in the canine unit receives training along with dogs are called upon to search for missing people,dangerous criminals and prisoner escapees. Each dog is designated a badge and is an official police officer. The Helicopter Section- Officers in this section are trained as police officers and FAA pilot mechanic certified. They are tasked in assisting HPD ground units by providing aerial observation for missing people, wanted fugitives, criminals and any other police related matter.


Reserves

Since 1941, the police department has maintained a police reserve program.Jaymes K. Song
Lawyer by day, Cop by night: For Honolulu's reserve officers, serving the community is its own reward
''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' (April 11, 2000).
Reserve officers are unpaid volunteers who work part-time (at least five hours per week) for the department in various roles.


Line of duty deaths

As of August 2022, 49 Honolulu Police Department officers have been killed in the line of duty. The department webpage lists all of them on a "Roll of Honor".


Duty weapons

The standard issue firearm for Honolulu Police officers is the
Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...
. Prior to 2014, officers were issued the
Smith & Wesson Model 5906 The Smith & Wesson 5906 is a pistol manufactured starting in 1988 by Smith & Wesson. Design The 5906 is a full-sized, double/single-action (DA/SA), staggered-column magazine, 9×19mm pistol. Its construction is all stainless steel. The 5906 is ...
but have since been phased out due to the age of the pistol and limited availability of parts. Officers carry their issued sidearm, the Glock 17 and can check out AR-15 rifles and less lethal shotguns from the armory while on their tour of duty. Officers can purchase supplemental weapons from an approved list and utilize them (as backup weapons or off-duty carry), AR-15 rifles, and shotguns. Officers must qualify with these supplemental weapons to carry or use them. Approved long guns are the Colt
AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporatio ...
rifle,
Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide. De ...
or
Benelli M1 The Benelli M1 is a semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by Benelli Armi S.P.A., and the first of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-auto shotguns. Introduced in 1986, it is available in several versions for civilian, law enforcement and mili ...
(Super 90) shotgun. Although most Officers carry their own personal long guns while on duty, respective stations throughout the island have a small arsenal of AR-15 rifles and less than lethal shotguns in the event they are needed.


In popular culture

The Honolulu Police Department has been the backdrop of several famous works of fiction, in literature, television and in motion pictures.


Charlie Chan

One of the most famous fictional literary detectives attached to the Honolulu Police Department was
Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...
. Chan, inspired in part by the career of HPD vice detective
Chang Apana Chang Apana (December 26, 1871 – December 8, 1933; ) was a Chinese-Hawaiian member of the Honolulu Police Department, first as an officer, then as a detective. He was acknowledged by Earl Derr Biggers as the inspiration for his fictional Chines ...
, was created in the 1920s by
Earl Derr Biggers Earl Derr Biggers (August 26, 1884 – April 5, 1933) was an American novelist and playwright. His novels featuring the fictional Chinese American detective Charlie Chan were adapted into popular films made in the United States and China. Biogra ...
and became one of the most important figures in American mystery fiction. In addition to being the hero of six novels, Chan was the subject of some forty films between the 1930s and 1950s. He, along with his family, was also made the subject of a short-lived
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
/
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
cartoon series in the mid-1970s, ''
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan ''The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''The Amazing Chan Clan'') is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, animated by Eric Porter Studios in Australia and broadcast on CBS from S ...
''. His career spanned from 1898 to 1932.


''Hawaiian Eye''

From October 1959 to September 1963, '' Hawaiian Eye'' was a crime drama aired on the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
television network. Actors Robert Conrad and
Anthony Eisley Anthony Eisley (January 19, 1925 – January 29, 2003) was an American actor best known as one of the detective leads, Tracy Steele, in the ABC/Warner Brothers television series '' Hawaiian Eye''. Early in his career, he was credited as Fred Eis ...
played private detectives fighting crime in Honolulu.
Connie Stevens Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...
played Cricket, a singer at the
Hawaiian Village Hotel The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is a resort hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. The resort first opened in 1955, and since has grown to become the largest in the Hilton chain of hotels, and one of largest hotels in th ...
bar which the guys frequented at least once a show. Mel Prestidge played Lt. Danny Quon, a Honolulu Police Lieutenant.


''Hawaii Five-O''

The most famous Hawaii based crime drama was ''
Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...
'' which aired on the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television network from September 1968 to April 1980. Until ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'', ''Hawaii Five-O'' was the longest running crime series on American television.
Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...
starred as Steve McGarrett, head of the elite state law enforcement office which worked alongside the chief of the Honolulu Police Department.
James MacArthur James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television. MacArthur's early work was predominantly in supporting roles in films. Later, he had a starring role as ...
starred as Danny Williams, McGarrett's right-hand man. McGarrett and "Danno" were straight-laced men with extreme dedication to law and justice fighting the forces of evil around the islands, especially in seedy downtown dives.
Kam Fong Chun Kam Fong Chun (born Kam Tong Chun; May 27, 1918 – October 18, 2002) was an American police officer and actor, best known for his role as Chin Ho Kelly, a police detective on the CBS television network series ''Hawaii Five-O''. Life Kam F ...
(who played Det. Chin Ho Kelly) was, in real life, a former HPD officer during World War Two. In several episodes of the show's first season, McGarrett mentions "Chief Dan" helping the Five-O unit with things like extra manpower or investigative resources; this referred to the real life Honolulu Police Chief Dan Liu (1908-1986), HPD's longest serving chief (1948-1969). (Chief Dan Liu also appeared as himself in the 1952 film '' Big Jim McLain''.) A modern-day remake of the series aired on the same television network from September 2010 to April 2020. Like its predecessor, the remake prominently featured the HPD, usually uniform officers assisting the Five-0 task force in apprehending suspects, collecting evidence and securing crime scenes. The main characters, as of
season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
, were all either former HPD officers or have some connection to the HPD: Steve McGarrett's father John was a former HPD sergeant, Chin Ho Kelly was John McGarrett's protege and reached the rank of Lieutenant, Danny Williams transferred to HPD from Newark PD in New Jersey, Kono Kalakaua was a fresh graduate from the HPD Academy and Lou Grover was the commander of the HPD SWAT Team. Kam Fong Chun's son Dennis Chun had a recurring role as HPD Sgt. Duke Lukela.


''Magnum, P.I.''

From December 1980 to September 1988, ''
Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'' aired on the same network as ''Hawaii Five-O'' (in fact, some of the shooting was done on the same sound stage). Starring
Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations f ...
as former U.S. Naval Intelligence and SEAL officer (and Detroit native) Thomas Magnum, ''Magnum, P.I.'' is about a private investigator working closely with Honolulu Police Department officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka, while trying to enjoy the "easy life" at the estate of a very reclusive mystery writer named "Robin Masters" and his "butler" Jonathan Higgins (played by Texas-born veteran actor
John Hillerman John Benedict Hillerman (December 20, 1932 – November 9, 2017) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as ...
). The series was widely applauded for being the first to recognize the difficulty
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...
s faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. Many episodes touched upon the impact that serving in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
had on Magnum and his friends, as well as echoes to events of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Now Magnum P.I has been released again first starting in 2018.


''Hawaiian Heat''

''
Hawaiian Heat ''Hawaiian Heat'' is an American drama television series. It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken. The series aired on ABC from September 14 to December 21, 1984. Overview It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken as two Chicago cops wh ...
'' was a short-lived series (September–December 1984) that was heavily hyped by ABC during its 1984 Olympics coverage. It starred
Robert Ginty Robert Winthrop Ginty (November 14, 1948 – September 21, 2009) was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director perhaps best known for playing Thomas Craig Anderson on the television series '' The Paper Chase''. Early life Ginty wa ...
and
Jeff McCracken Jeff McCracken (born September 12, 1952) is an American actor, director and producer. Early life and education Born in Chicago, McCracken graduated Evanston Township High School in 1970. He served in the United States Air Force during the V ...
as two Chicago cops who bag their boring jobs in the frozen Windy City to become detectives in paradise; their boss was played by veteran actor
Mako Iwamatsu was a Japanese-American actor, credited mononymously in almost all of his acting roles as simply Mako. His film roles include Po-Han in '' The Sand Pebbles'' (1966) (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) ...
. Many of the episodes were directed by reclusive African-American actor/director
Ivan Dixon Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III (April 6, 1931 – March 16, 2008) was an American actor, director, and producer best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom ''Hogan's Heroes'', and for his starring roles in the 1964 independent drama '' Not ...
.


''Jake and the Fatman''

From September 1987 to March 1992, CBS Television (in conjunction with Dean Hargrove Productions and the former Viacom Television) aired a spin-off for a '' Matlock'' character. The show was called ''
Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from September ...
'' about
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
District Attorney Jason Lochinvar McCade (played by veteran radio/TV actor
William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...
) and his Chief Investigator, Jake Styles (played by
Joe Penny Joseph Edward Penny Jr. (born 24 June 1956) is an English-born American actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on the detective series ''Riptide'' from 1984 to 1986, and as Jake Styles in the CBS television series ''Jake and the Fatman'' ...
). In the second season, CBS executives decided to film in Hawaii instead (having McCabe quit as DA for Los Angeles to become the Prosecuting Attorney in Honolulu), so the entire cast (including the show's mascot, a bulldog named Max) was sent to Honolulu. After two seasons in Hawaii, the series returned to L.A.


''Hawaii''

In August 2004,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
introduced the police series ''
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
''. The show featured an elite Honolulu Police Department detective squad charged with fighting the most notorious of Hawaii mob criminals. Starring in the show were
Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in ''The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...
from ''
The Terminator ''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...
'' as Sean Harrison,
Sharif Atkins Sharif Atkins (born January 29, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Michael Gallant on '' ER'' and for his role as FBI Agent Clinton Jones on '' White Collar''. Early life Atkins was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylva ...
from '' ER'' as John Declan,
Ivan Sergei Ivan Sergei Gaudio (; born May 7, 1971) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''. Life Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in Hawthorne, N ...
from ''
Crossing Jordan ''Crossing Jordan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Tim Kring, that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001, to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in ...
'' as Danny Edwards,
Eric Balfour Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor and singer. He is the lead singer of Born as Ghosts, formerly known as Fredalba. He made his film debut in the drama ''Shattered Image'' (1998), followed by roles in ''What Women Want' ...
from '' Six Feet Under'' as Christopher Gains, and newcomers
Aya Sumika Aya Sumika is a former American actress best known for her semi-recurring role (which later turned into a regular role) as FBI Agent Liz Warner in the television series ''Numb3rs''. Personal life She studied ballet at Juilliard. Sumika and hus ...
as Linh Tamiya and
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Japanese: 田川 洋行, ''Tagawa Hiroyuki''; born September 27, 1950) is a Japanese-born American actor, film producer, and martial artist. Often cast as villains, he is known for his film roles in ''The Last Emperor'' ...
as Captain Terry Harada.
Jeff Eastin Jeff Eastin (born March 7, 1967) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is the co-creator of the crime series '' White Collar'' and the police drama series ''Graceland'', both on the USA Network. Eastin also served as executive ...
was the creator and executive producer.
Daniel Sackheim Daniel Sackheim (born in 1962) is an American television and film director, producer, and photographer. Sackheim has produced and directed for ''The X-Files'', ''Law & Order'', ''House'' and ''NYPD Blue''. He also directed '' The Walking Dead,'' ...
from the defunct series ''
The Lyon's Den ''The Lyon's Den'' is an American legal drama television series set in Washington, D.C. The legal drama starred Rob Lowe as a lawyer named Jack Turner, newly appointed as partner of a long-established law firm that, as the plot revealed, harbored ...
'' directed. The series was canceled after eight episodes, partly due to strong competition from another show produced in Hawaii, ABC's ''
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''.


See also

*
Hawaii Department of Public Safety The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is a department within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is headquartered in the 919 Ala Moana Boulevard building in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Department of Public Safety is m ...


References


See also

*
State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) is a police union and political action committee located in Honolulu which represents police across the state of Hawaii. Consisting of a separate chapter for each of the four counties ...
*
Honolulu Police Commission The Honolulu Police Commission consists of seven Police Commissioners (members). They do not receive compensation for their five-year terms. Their terms are staggered, and each member serves until their replacements are appointed by the Mayor and co ...


External links

* {{Authority control County police departments of Hawaii Government of Honolulu Municipal police departments of Hawaii Government agencies established in 1846 1846 establishments in Hawaii