David Lazar sworn in as Honolulu Police Department’s 13th chief
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Thursday marked the start of a new era for the Honolulu Police Department as David Lazar was sworn in as the department’s 13th police chief.
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At a ceremony at Mission Memorial Auditorium, Lazar’s wife — whose family is from Kahuku and Halawa — and their three children pinned his rank and badge on his uniform.
The Honolulu Police Commission selected Lazar for the job in May after a nearly year-long search.
Among his priorities, Lazar said he plans to build trust within HPD and the community.
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“To the community, we will build on community trust and transparency by being open and honest,” Lazar said. “As your chief, I will be responsive on the issues we are facing. It starts with me being humble and respectful. First, it means listening and learning from all of you.”
Staffing and retention are also challenges Lazar said he is ready to tackle.
He said he is forming a recruitment plan to address more than 460 vacancies, and he said he knows morale needs to be boosted.
Lazar is a retired assistant chief from the San Francisco Police Department who worked his way up the ranks over 33 years.
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