After a change in recruitment tactics, the Honolulu Police Department says more people are applying to become officers.
Last year, it got more than 2,000 applications — a 20% increase from 2023.
HPD found that recent high-quality recruits were already affiliated with police or the military, or did athletics in school, so it focused on those groups.
It also expanded its search, in part by reaching out to college students studying psychology, social work and even public health.
HPD Major Parker Bode talked about the effort at a City Council meeting.
“ We wanted to rethink talent pipelines in law enforcement, in policing, not only to broaden the talent pipeline, but to adapt to new skill and societal demands, such as trauma-informed care,” Bode said.
“Due to the success of our crisis intervention team, we wanted to target psychology, public health, social work majors, because they already have a basis, a foundation of trauma-informed care.”
Before 2024, the number of applications HPD received annually dropped by 60% between 2020 and 2023.
To view careers in the Honolulu Police Department, click here.
