Maui Police Department aims for funding for staff shortages, law enforcement modernization

The Maui Police Department is requesting a $12.2 million budget increase next fiscal year, or 11.6% more than this year, to address staffing shortages and modernize public safety technology across Maui County.

In an April 6 letter to the Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, Police Chief John Pelletier reported that the department has 154 total vacancies, including 81 sworn officer positions.

The shortfall has resulted in a heavy reliance on overtime, with approximately $7.8 million paid out through late February of this year.

“The removal of funding for these vacant positions would result in the shortage of services for our community, and it would also create a public safety issue,” Pelletier said. “Overtime is being used to help the department with our manpower issue but has also created a financial shortfall.”

Doubling officer application numbers, plus hiring incentives

To combat the recruitment crisis, the department has doubled its applicant numbers through a dedicated center at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, which costs approximately $53,285 annually to operate. The center helped with hiring 28 new recruits this fiscal year.

The center has been “vital to our success,” the chief said. “It provides a welcoming, non-intimidating space where applicants and their families can meet with us, ask questions and begin the process. It also generates walk-in interest from the community.”

The department offers a $30,000 recruitment incentive for new officers, paid incrementally over five years to encourage long-term commitment.

“The program has been highly effective,” Pelletier said. “It has allowed the department to expand training to three police academies per year, creating a steady pipeline of applicants actively working to complete the hiring and training process. The incentive encourages commitment, supports workforce stability and helps ensure a continuous flow of police officer applicants for the department.”

The department is also exploring a pilot program to conduct its own hiring independently of the county’s personnel department to accelerate the process.

During a budget review in Council Chambers on Tuesday, Council Member Tamara Paltin asked for clarification on the vacancy figures. She noted the department has 108 sworn officer vacancies, but 25 of them are filled but unfunded. And, she said she counted 78 vacancies with 13 in expansion positions, “so that’s like 91 vacancies.” Then, there’s 53 civilian vacancies, 21 non-civilian and 106 sworn officers. “So it doesn’t add up to the entire amount of vacancies.”

Budget Director Lesley Milner said she would give council members a written explanation later, but the situation with the Police Department is similar to the Department of Fire and Public Safety. The departments have some employees in a “holding position” while they undergo training. Those positions are filled but unfunded, she said.

Police Department fiscal 2027 budget details

Overall, the department’s budget calls for spending $117.6 million, an increase of 11.6% over the current fiscal year. The department’s personnel would increase 0.9% with another five employees to 589.3 equivalent full-time positions. Salaries and wages are panned to increase 12% to $66.6 million.

The chief highlighted a few budget items that had been requested but cut by the administrator of Mayor Richard Bissen. He asked council members to restore:

• 10 replacement patrol vehicles and a transport van.
• $2.8 million in technology contracts, including those for GIS services and body-worn camera storage.
• $1.1 million for software licenses, which are required for officers to run background checks and identify suspects with out-of-state warrants.

The Police Department’s proposed funding also increase covers rising operational costs and technological investments intended to decrease emergency response times. The proposed funding would cover, among other things, rising fuel costs for the helicopter program, the expansion of the K-9 program, and a real time operations center.

The department defines “Priority 1” calls, such as active shooters or robberies, as incidents requiring a response in under five minutes.

In an offshoot of a discussion about canine units, Pelletier said the highly trained dogs have been important in the department’s battle against illegal drug trafficking.

“We had a record number of cocaine seizures in Maui County last year, more than all the other counties combined,” he said, adding that “pounds of fentanyl (have been) coming in,” the chief said. “We’re combatting narco-terrorism. We’re combating violent crime.”

Without directly calling out Maui Indivisible, Pelletier said “they want to create a false narrative.” (Timestamp 1:23 BFED Committee Meeting)

The group opposed approval of an intergovernmental agreement in which it would have allowed MPD to respond to alarms at Hawai‘i Army National Guard facilities. In October, the Council voted 7-1 to file the bill, essentially killing it.

The Police Department’s technical requests include $1.72 million for a Real-Time Operations Center to integrate camera feeds and a new records management system to improve the tracking of criminal data.

Pelletier said the operations center will be equipped with artificial intelligence software that will be able to detect “anomalies,” like smoke on a mountain slope, in real time, providing a faster response to wildfire threats and improved public safety.

Equipment and safety tools

Funding is also sought for specialized equipment and safety tools.

The department provided an itemized breakdown of costs to gear up a local officer, including $770 for a ballistic vest, $900 for a tactical helmet and $312 for an individual first aid kit. Additionally, the Police Department is requesting a secure restraint chair for the Wailuku cell block following an incident where an officer suffered a fractured orbital bone when a detainee assaulted him.

Infrastructure and facilities

Infrastructure and facility improvements remain a top priority for the upcoming year.

A recent study found the Wailuku Police Station requires nearly $2.5 million in Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades. The department is requesting $835,000 to begin phasing in repairs for restrooms, locker rooms and fire suppression systems. Plans also include swapping the existing gym and dojo spaces at the station to better support personnel wellness and stress management.

In Hāna, the department intends to demolish an existing three-bedroom cottage and replace it with a six-unit complex. This project is designed to house officers locally and eliminate the $2,000 monthly rent currently paid for private housing. Other capital priorities include improvements to the countywide radio system and the expansion of the K-9 program.

The department noted it expects to receive nearly $1.8 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements related to the August 2023 wildfires.

Upcoming community meetings

Here’s the schedule for future community budget meetings, all of which begin at 6 p.m.

• April 16, Kalana o Maui, Council Chamber, 8th Floor, 200 S. High St., Wailuku.
• April 17, Lahaina Civic Center, Social Hall, 1840 Honoapiʻilani Highway.