HONOLULU — Hawaiʻi’s Division of Regulation Enforcement is struggling to recruit and retain state deputy sheriffs attributable to a widening pay hole with county law enforcement officials, Division Director Mike Lambert informed the Legislature’s Finance Committee.
Lambert mentioned the disparity has made it tough to fill vacancies, with the division at the moment working with a 27% emptiness charge, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Through the listening to on Jan. 6, Lambert highlighted progress revamped the previous 12 months, together with efforts to curb unlawful fireworks, and outlined new initiatives akin to putting in gunshot-detection expertise in areas with excessive charges of violent crime, in response to the report. The division, which oversees safety at state services like courts, harbors and airports, additionally handles statewide legal investigations involving narcotics, fireworks, agricultural crime and incidents throughout the state’s jails.
| DOWNLOAD: 26 on 2026: A police leadership playbook
Lambert famous that latest pay will increase for county law enforcement officials have deepened the wage hole. County officers obtained a 27% elevate over 4 years, with Honolulu officers incomes as much as $108,036 by 2028. Compared, state deputy sheriffs earn between $60,000 and $89,000. The deputy sheriffs are represented by the Hawaiʻi Authorities Workers Affiliation, whereas county law enforcement officials are represented by the State of Hawaiʻi Group of Police Officers, which negotiated the latest raises.
In a letter to lawmakers, Lambert mentioned the wage hole has led to elevated vacancies, extra time use, delays in hiring and lack of skilled personnel to higher-paying positions. The shortages, he mentioned, additionally improve workloads and restrict the division’s skill to carry out proactive enforcement. Lambert emphasised that sheriffs carry out duties much like county officers, citing an October incident the place a Division of Regulation Enforcement officer was shot throughout a federal narcotics raid. A close-by HPD officer, not injured within the incident, earns considerably extra, he mentioned.
Regardless of these staffing challenges, Lambert reported progress in fireworks enforcement. Over the New Yr’s Eve vacation, the division seized greater than 121,000 kilos of unlawful fireworks, which he mentioned equates to roughly 1,200 to 2,400 fewer households utilizing them, in response to the report. Nevertheless, he criticized the Honolulu Police Division for issuing solely 29 citations throughout the identical time interval regardless of receiving 592 calls associated to fireworks.
Lambert closed his remarks by urging lawmakers to contemplate pay parity as important for sustaining public security, saying that truthful compensation would assist cut back vacancies and guarantee key state services are adequately staffed.
The Culpeper Senior Heart not too long ago partnered with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Workplace to relaunch Triad, a nationwide initiative growing consciousness of scams and fraud
Seattle Police Officers Guild president Mike Solan alleged officers had been directed to not arrest offenders for open drug use; Chief Shon Barnes mentioned the declare was”completely not true”
Physique digital camera footage from the Suffolk County Police Division reveals officers strolling into the pond, tossing the boy a life ring earlier than one sergeant went out to retrieve him
