‘I can make a change’: HPD chief finalist Scott Ebner eager to bring new perspective

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Of the three finalists for Honolulu police chief, New Jersey native Scott Ebner is the only one without longstanding family or professional ties to the islands.

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“I’ve been coming here since 1998, I honeymooned here, we vacationed here with our family, our children, continually come back. And then of course my friends and colleagues that I’ve made over the years that live here,” Ebner said in a one-on-one interview with Hawaii News Now.

While it could be seen as a disadvantage, Ebner says his experience could bring a fresh perspective to a department facing recruitment and retention challenges. He is the only finalist with previous police chief experience.

“If you look at the last few chiefs you had, they’ve been from here. Were they successful as they could have been, I’m not here to criticize them. I would let the public tell you that now, or we wouldn’t probably have another process going on right now,” Ebner said.

Ebner touted his track record of modernization, accountability and transparency over 35 years in law enforcement. Much of his career was spent in executive roles with the New Jersey State Police, including operations, investigations and administration.

“If it was a matter of just having an internal candidate, then why were these issues not being addressed? Why has it continually gotten worse?” he noted.

“I know from my experience that I can make a change. I will make a dramatic change, and you will see recruitment and retention needs go down. It will be gradual, but it will be measured.”

In 2022, Ebner retired from the New Jersey State Police and was a finalist for the top job at HPD. After losing out to Joe Logan, Ebner accepted a role as public safety director at Glynn County, Georgia, where he’s currently police chief.

He says he has been working to modernize the agency and restore trust there, tackling inefficiencies and low morale — strategies he says were successful in New Jersey and could help HPD.

“I know I can bridge that gap, but also build up the agency, the department where you have a succession plan where all the command staff could take over tomorrow if they had to, and that’s what you want 5, 10 years from now,” he said.

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“The first 90 days I need to come here and assess the staff. That’s a big task with this large of an agency, but it’s something I’ve done before at the state police at a much, much grander scale.”

Ebner is no stranger to controversy, having served as chief of staff for one of the country’s largest state police forces.

In 2021, four female New Jersey troopers sued Ebner and other leaders, accusing them of gender discrimination and being passed up for promotions. Ebner denies any wrongdoing and says he has never been disciplined in his 35-year career.

“Anybody that’s in charge of a large agency, I hate to say it, you’re going to be named in lawsuits,” Ebner said when asked about the accusations. “That comes with the job. You have to have thick skin.”

“I’ll hang my hat on my experience and how I treat people and the many, many people I’ve promoted in my career, including many women that are in high ranking positions,” he said.

Some may also question Ebner’s commitment to Honolulu, since he has applied for police chief jobs across the country.

He’s currently a finalist for chief in the city of Snoqualmie, east of Seattle, Washington. Ebner says he only applies for roles at the request of industry colleagues who value his track record of departmental reform and want to bring him in.

But Ebner says Oahu is where he wants to be.

“We’re at a critical stage with recruitment. With some challenges with the community trust and of course with morale and many other issues and based on my experience, my training, and what I’ve been able to accomplish and succeed at at a high level, I’d love to come here and put that in place,” he said.

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The police commission plans to select a new chief on May 20.