The list of candidates for Honolulu's chief of police has been narrowed down to three finalists.
The Honolulu Police Commission, which has the authority to hire and fire the island's top officer, announced the finalists in a scheduled public meeting Wednesday.
One of the finalists is a local candidate — state Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert. He had previously worked with the Honolulu Police Department, and plans to leave the state government to protect his retirement benefits with HPD.
The other finalists are Scott Ebner, chief of police for Glynn County in Georgia, and David Lazar, retired assistant chief for the San Francisco Police Department.
“Regarding the finalists, the commissioners, all seven of us, have concluded that these three finalists represent the strongest alignment with the needs of our community and the qualities that we believe are essential for leading the Honolulu Police Department,” said Laurie Foster, the chair of the police commission.
Some notable names left off the list of finalists include HPD’s interim chief Rade Vanic, and Hawaiʻi Island police chief Ben Moszkowicz, who was Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s pick for the interim job.
Don Faumuina, president of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, in a statement said, “SHOPO is thoroughly scrutinizing the finalists to assess which candidate has the skills to immediately address our officer retention crisis, a proven history as an advocate for the department and the officers they lead, a proven ability to create an environment of trust and fairness, and a history of leading by example.”
One of HPDʻs most pressing issues, the police union said, is the chronic shortage of officers and civilian positions within the department. It notes that there are 460 or so vacant positions within the department and 260 additional staff that are eligible for retirement, so “the stakes of the Police Commission’s decision could not be higher” according to Faumuina.
Blangiardi is scheduled to meet with the final candidates.
In a statement, he said, “This is one of the most important leadership positions in our city. The men and women of the Honolulu Police Department, and the people of Oʻahu, deserve a chief with integrity, strong leadership, sound judgment, and a deep commitment to public safety and community trust.”
The mayor had a falling out with former HPD Chief Joe Logan, who resigned last June. Logan filed a lawsuit alleging that he was pressured to step down from his position.
The police chief finalists will appear on an episode of PBS Insights next Thursday, and the commission will appoint a new chief on May 20.
