Rick Blangiardi

The recent leadership changes at the Honolulu Police Department have prompted a question: Who should be able to hire and fire Oʻahu's police chief? HPR’s Mark Ladao looks at who has that authority, how it can change, and what that change could mean.

Five nominees for Honolulu's new ocean safety commission have been picked by Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

The Honolulu Police Commission will meet June 18 to pick an interim replacement for Honolulu Police Department Chief Joe Logan and also begin the process to select a permanent chief.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi would support a charter amendment giving whoever is the Honolulu mayor the ability to hire and fire the city’s chief of police. He also appears open to changing how the chiefs of the city’s fire and ocean safety departments are picked.

In the bill, HPD would need to provide access to its dispatch radio communications to local media outlets. The department encrypted its scanners in 2022, denying access to the public and media.

Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan announced his retirement and will step down at the end of the month.

The Honolulu City Council has reappointed Jim Ireland to head the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. This comes after some former employees testified against Ireland. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

The Honolulu City Council will hold another hearing to reappoint Dr. Jim Ireland to lead the Honolulu Emergency Services Department — after postponing it following complaints from former employees.

The Honolulu Department of Environmental Services is proposing to bump up residents' sewer fees by more than 100% over the next decade to pay for wastewater upgrades. But on Tuesday the council suggested a modest 4% that applies only to next year.

The council is reviewing Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s budget for the next fiscal year and is looking to cut expenses — largely to pay for other projects like wastewater infrastructure.