HPD officer vacancies near record levels as new chief David Lazar takes over

News admin July 1, 2026 0 Comments

HPD officer vacancies near record levels as new chief David Lazar takes over

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – David Lazar will be sworn in Thursday as Honolulu’s new police chief, inheriting an officer shortage that has grown steadily for years and now sits near record levels.

The Honolulu Police Department is currently down more than 20% of its uniformed officers. Vacancy numbers show the problem has worsened over time, rising from just under 300 in 2020 to roughly 470 at the start of this year.

Union calls staffing crisis the top challenge

Don Faumuina, president of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO), said the shortage will be Lazar’s most pressing issue from day one.

“The staffing crisis is the largest and most difficult challenge that Chief Lazar will face,” Faumuina said. “There’s departments around the country that face similar challenges. The departments that are making progress are those that are actually acknowledging it, that it is a problem, and then they attack it head on.”

Recruits can’t keep pace with retirements

HPD currently has five academy classes underway with 155 recruits. Not all make it through and there are 312 officers already eligible to retire, having reached 25 years of service.

In the first half of this year, 30 officers have left the department — 10 retired and 20 resigned.

Recent efforts to address the shortage have included bonuses for new hires.

Retention now a focus for union

SHOPO said the department and city leaders need to shift focus toward keeping veteran officers on the job. The union is calling for retention bonuses, facility upgrades, and equipment modernization.

Faumuina said morale is a factor in officers choosing to leave.

“There’s a lot of our officers that are willing to stay,” he said. “But honestly, they’re tired. They’re burnt out. There have been a lot of leadership changes in the past. Morale is hurting.”

Hawaii News Now did ask HPD for an interview with Lazar to ask him about his plan to address vacancies but a spokesperson said the incoming chief would not be available for at least 11 days.