HONOLULU (KHON2) — The State of Hawaiʻi Organization of Police Officers polled their union members from the Honolulu Police Department on what they are looking for in their next chief.
The poll comes after former Chief Joe Logan’s retirement, which ultimately led to Logan suing the City and County of Honolulu, as well as Mayor Rick Blangiardi, claiming wrongful termination for what he calls a forced resignation and emotional distress.
Since Logan’s departure, the Honolulu Police Commission appointed Rade Vanic to the role of interim chief as the search for the permanent role continues.
In their polling, the police union found that its membership desires a chief that will focus on more patrol, have a strong public presence and implement major change.
Members surveyed listed strong public speaking as the top skill the permanent chief should possess, while also focusing on issues such as recruitment and retention.
The process of finding a new chief is lengthy, with the police commission estimating that it could take approximately three months to even find a search firm to aid in the recruitment.