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Regular Session Minutes <br />September 19,2025 <br />Page 4 <br />dangerous contraband off thestreets. They areconducting a thorough criminal and <br />administrative investigation, as well as a comprehensive review of K9 policies and <br />procedures to determine if there are any adjustments that couldbe made to prevent a <br />similar incident from occurring in the future. <br />Recruit Class Ceremony: The department welcomed new members during the 102nd <br />Police Recruit Class recognition ceremony at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Officer Cody <br />Hirata, class president, received the Firearms Award and was named Most Outstanding <br />Recruit. Officer Kastle Quiocho, class vice president, received the Physical Fitness <br />Award. <br />5th Annual Fill A CruiserEvent: The Kona Community Policing Section held its 5th <br />annual Fill A Cruiser Food Drive on August 29, in partnership withCostcoand the Food <br />Basket,collecting over 4,600 pounds of food and $8,966 in donations.Both totals <br />surpassed last year’s results, bringing the five-year event total to 15,901 pounds of <br />Automated External Defibrillators (AED)Donation:In late August, the Hawai‘i Police <br />Department received 30 new AEDs from the Hilo Benioff Medical Center Foundation <br />and the Max and Yetta Karasik Foundation. The donation brings the department’s total <br />to about 70 AEDs now deployed in patrol vehicles across the island. Equipping every <br />officer with an AED is a top goal, since the devices can make the difference between <br />life and death during cardiac emergencies. <br />Badges and Buckets:The department sponsored the 22nd annual “Badges and <br />Buckets” fundraiser (formerly “Cop on Top”) at Hilo and Kona Wal-Mart stores, <br />supporting Special Olympics Hawai‘i. Officers have raised over $250,000 through this <br />event over the years.This event is the largest Special Olympics fundraiser of the year, <br />and a large part of the annual budget is raised through thisevent alone. <br />HPD Website:The department’s website received the 2025 Web Award for <br />Government Standard of Excellence from the Web Marketing Association, marking its <br />fourth national or international award since its redesign. <br />Commendations and Awards:Chief Mahuna reported on recent recognitions, including <br />HSLEOA Officer of the Year, Kona Crime Prevention Committee Officer of the Year, <br />and HISSPA Officer of the Quarter (Q2 2025). The department also received five <br />commendations involving four personnel since the last meeting. <br />Following the report, commissioners expressed condolences regarding the recent <br />canine death, emphasized the need for accountability, transparency, and policy <br />changes, and raised questions on prevention measures and handler status. Chief <br />Mahuna acknowledged the incident was preventable, explained thatthe department is <br />taking full responsibility, and noted both administrative and criminal investigations are <br /> <br />