Task force presents menu of recruitment and retention proposals as Honolulu wrestles with HPD vacancies

Councilmember Tupala, chair of the Honolulu Police Department staffing and retention task force, told the Committee of Public Safety and Economy on Jan. 15 that the city faces a continuing shortfall in sworn and civilian personnel and offered a menu of recommendations to boost hiring and retain staff.

"We wanted to review data, recruitment and separation trends, retirement eligibility, employee feedback, along with national practices used by other law enforcement agencies," Tupala said during the informational briefing. The report, available as council communication 251‑2025, shows 2,177 authorized HPD positions and a roughly 41% increase in vacancies between 2021 and 2023.

Why it matters: The task force framed its report as a set of possible interventions the council and administration can select from rather than a single comprehensive package. The recommendations aim to address three problems the task force identified: low conversion of applicants into hires, rising retirements among both sworn and civilian staff, and organizational culture concerns.

Key findings and recommendations

- Hiring yield and applicant attrition: "In 2024, HPD received 2,136 applications," Tupala said. "Only 98 officers were hired, resulting in an overall yield of about 4%." The task force cited analysis showing major drop‑off points in the pipeline: 34% left at scheduling/entrance exam, 17% were disqualified in background checks, and 13% failed the entrance exam.

- Retention and separations: The report said HPD experienced 846 sworn separations from 2020–2024; of those, 56.5% were retirements. For civilian staff in 2024, 42% of separations were retirements and 38% were permanent resignations. The task force noted "1 in 3" civilian employees is eligible to retire.

- Recommended interventions (menu approach): The task force proposed a set of options including a $2,000 referral bonus for employees whose referred candidates meet service milestones; a housing stipend estimated at about $12 million per year (roughly $500 per eligible employee); parking stipends for civilian dispatchers; phased retention bonuses paid over time; expanded civilian administrative roles to reduce sworn workload; reserve‑officer expansion; digital evidence modernization; simulation‑based training investments; and the creation of a recruitment and retention special fund to protect and target these monies.

- Existing incentives: Tupala and Chief Vanek said the $25,000 hiring incentive (already paid in tranches for academy passage, graduation, probation completion and years of service) appears to have contributed to new hires but was not the single top reason recruits cited. "Referrals and outreach remain top drivers," the chief said; the department expects more aggregated data after the next recruit class to evaluate the incentive’s impact.

Public testimony and council reaction

Retired HPD Major William Ornelas testified in person urging targeted outreach and recruitment in neighbor island and underrepresented communities, including Waimanalo, Waianae and Papakolea. "I'm here today to try and help recruit police officers," Ornelas said.

Councilmembers praised the accelerated task‑force work and discussed which items could be funded quickly. Several members said lower‑cost options, such as a parking stipend or a referral bonus, could be prioritized while larger measures such as a universal housing stipend would require phased implementation and budget decisions by the administration.

Next steps and evaluation

Tupala described the report as a "buffet" of options designed to be pared down and prioritized. The task force and HPD urged measurement of each pilot or program: implement a few approaches, evaluate their effect, and return to the council with results. Tupala said the committee plans to follow implementation and consider budget requests tied to prioritized items.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25‑321: Confirm appointment to the Fire Commission (term to 12/31/2029). Committee recommended reporting out for adoption; no objections were recorded in committee discussion.

- Resolution 25‑322: Confirm appointment to the Police Commission (term to 12/31/2030). Committee recommended reporting out for adoption; no objections were recorded in committee discussion.

- Resolution 25‑329: Accept $125,000 gift from the Honolulu Zoological Society for giraffe exhibit fencing (AZA accreditation). Committee recommended reporting out for adoption; no objections were recorded in committee discussion.

What we know and limits of the record

The briefing supplied detailed statistics and a broad menu of reform and incentive options, but the committee discussion left several items as "to be prioritized" rather than adopted. The chief said more two‑year aggregate data are needed to assess the $25,000 hiring incentive’s net effect. The committee recorded no formal roll‑call votes in the transcript for the three resolutions; the chair recommended reporting each resolution out for adoption and announced "hearing none" to objections during the committee meeting.

The committee adjourned with plans to return to implementation, prioritize items for the next budget cycle and measure outcomes of any pilots or programs implemented.