The Honolulu Police Commission has selected David Lazar from the San Francisco Police Department to be Oʻahu's new police chief.
Five of the seven-member commission picked Lazar, who previously served as assistant chief of operations and acting chief of SFPD.
In his first comments to the commission after the vote, Lazar said, “I want to tell you how excited I am to work with the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department that do a good job every day.”
He added, “All they want is a strong leader who can come in, have their backs and support them, and contribute to wellness and contribute to morale, and support their families. I am going to do just that.”
He beat out fellow finalists Mike Lambert, the director of the Hawaiʻi's Department of Law Enforcement, and Scott Ebner, chief of the Glynn County Police Department in Georgia.
The commission had reached out to the community and stakeholders to figure out what was needed in a new chief. It ended up focusing on five needs: increased modernization of HPD; leading the department as whole; staff recruitment, retention and workforce stability; officer wellness; and restoring public trust.
Overall, Honolulu Police Commission Chair Laurie Foster told reporters that the community wanted change.
“We want change. It's not that HPD is doing a bad job, but we want modernization, and we want transformation. That was the overwhelming message that we got from the community,” Foster said.
With Lazar's appointment, that will be the case. The 33-year veteran with SFPD has never lived in Hawaiʻi, although his wife is Native Hawaiian.
He acknowledged that he’ll be coming to HPD as an outsider.
“It's not easy coming from the outside, and I come from a place where outsiders were not welcome. But I saw an outside chief come to our department, and he was gracious, and he was humble, and he was respectful, and he worked hard with the men and women of the department to move it forward. That's my plan as the next chief,” Lazar said.
Reactions to Lazar’s appointment
After the commission announced its selection, local leaders began congratulating Lazar.
Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters said in a statement, “This was a difficult decision because the public safety stakes are high, and Honolulu needs leadership grounded in integrity, accountability, and trust. … HPD’s future depends not only on staffing and operations but also on restoring the sense of mission that attracts good people to public service.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a video statement, “All three men displayed excellent leadership qualities as they vied for this job. David Lazar is our new chief. I look forward to working with him.”
Blangiardi interviewed Lazar and the other finalists as part of the commission’s selection process.
The mayor had inserted himself in the search for HPD’s chief, starting with his conflict with former HPD Chief Joe Logan. The internal dispute led to Logan’s resignation and prompted the search for a new chief.
Blangiardi also publicly advocated for Hawaiʻi County Police Department Chief Ben Moszkowicz for the interim Honolulu job. The Honolulu Police Commission instead chose Interim Chief Rade Vanic to lead the department.
The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Don Faumuina said in a statement, “Above all else, SHOPO members want to see positive change and to see those changes happen soon. SHOPO stands ready to be an active partner and problem-solver to move HPD forward, elevate its stature so it truly reflects the talent of the men and women who serve our community, and consistently provide the high-quality public safety services our residents deserve.”
SHOPO said some of the most pressing challenges HPD is facing include its “retention crisis, aging infrastructure, and employee morale.”
Support, opposition for Lambert
Shortly before the vote, the commissioners provided broad praise about the finalists. Many said all three candidates would have been capable HPD chiefs.
But Lambert, the only local finalist and former major at HPD, was the heavy favorite based on public testimony.
Chris Kim, the former coordinator for CrimeStoppers Honolulu, said during the meeting that Lambert worked with him while at HPD to boost the program and reduce crime.
“I believe in having someone young who can come up with these great ideas. He's a visionary, and I truly believe with all my heart that he's going to take this department a step forward,” Kim said.
SHOPO also threw its support for Lambert based on a survey done of its members. Nearly 90% of the union’s respondents favored Lambert as chief.
Other former HPD staff and the public put their support behind Lambert as well.
He received two of the commission’s votes.
There was some concern about Lambert’s views on cooperating with federal immigration agents.
At a PBS Hawaiʻi “Insights” episode with the chief finalists, Lambert said that the state’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has helped investigations into illegal game rooms, sex trafficking and gun-related crimes.
“It’d be very trendy and popular to say, ‘Never’ … but you just can’t forsake longtime federal partners,” Lambert said during the show.
He also noted there’s a growing conservative movement in Hawaiʻi, suggesting that these local residents are supportive of the Trump administration's immigration efforts.
Both Lazar and Ebner were more strongly opposed to working with federal immigration agencies.
At Wednesday’s police commission meeting, several testifiers with the O'ahu Rapid Response Coalition brought up concerns about Lambert.
Nandita Sharma, a sociology professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and member of the coalition, said, “ All credible research shows that we are all unsafe when people are afraid to call or talk to local police, which is precisely what happens when local law enforcement officers double as immigration enforcement agents.”
Sharma, whose research focus is on immigration, added, “ HPD policy should not be formulated based on political considerations, but only on what is lawful and protective of the community the HPD serves.”
Lambert still intends to return to HPD to preserve his pension benefits. He worked at the department from 2002 to 2025, when he left for DLE.
The commission also defended its selection process, despite some concerns that it wasn’t transparent enough.
Lazar said it’s not yet clear when he'll start as Honolulu's chief.
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