2026-01-30 Police Commission Regular Minutes

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Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes January 30, 2026 Page 2 transparency, and accountability in facing recent challenges. Lieutenant Jackson requested that the Commission remove "Interim" from Mahuna's title and appoint him as Chief of Police. Armando Rodriguez, coffee farmer, immigrant, president of Aloha Latinos, described his background as a Mexican immigrant raised in Arizona and his work with Aloha Latinos, an organization formed at the request of a former mayor to help residents access County resources, now heavily focused on immigration issues. He shared that, based on negative experiences with law enforcement in Arizona, he never expected to support a police officer. However, he testified in support of Interim Chief Mahuna and Assistant Chief Bird, stating they have been instrumental in working with his community. He noted that Chief Mahuna personally visited his farm to learn about coffee and understand the struggles they are facing, and he expressed confidence that Chief Mahuna has been doing a good job and will continue to do so. Ed Buyten, raised in Kona, 24 years with the Hawaii Police Department, testified that for most of his career, he did not personally know Reed Mahuna, though they knew of each other and had passing interactions. In 2024, after being promoted to captain and assigned to Ka`u, he began working administratively with then Deputy Chief Mahuna and found his character and leadership style to be highly positive and informative. He described the creation of the Vice Division one year ago, noting that it realigned the department and resulted in a direct reporting relationship between him and Deputy Chief Mahuna. He stated that this has been the greatest year of his career, highlighting Deputy Chief Mahuna's expectations of tier one performance, focus on removing dangerous drugs from the community, and emphasis on technology, professionalism, autonomy, creativity, communication, and transparency. He distinguished between "managers" and "leaders," stating that he has worked for a lot of managers and very few leaders, and he trusts Interim Chief Mahuna's leadership and hopes the Commission does as well. Thomas Shopay, acting Assistant Chief, Hawaii Police Department, West Hawaii, thanked the Commission for the opportunity to speak about the selection of the next police chief, emphasizing that the decision will affect morale, effectiveness, and public trust for years. While referencing his written testimony, he elaborated on three reasons for recommending an internal candidate. First, regarding long-term commitment, he cautioned against treating the position as a retirement job or a final capstone for external candidates and stated that the department needs a leader with skin in the game, not a placeholder. Second, on the learning curve, he noted that each department is its own ecosystem and that internal candidates already understand the culture that external candidates would need months or years to learn. Third, on morale, he said promoting from within sends a strong message that excellence and dedication are recognized and that there is a future within the department. He concluded by stating