#Department Of Public Safety

Two recruits joined the ranks of the County of Maui Ocean Safety Officers during a graduation ceremony on Friday. Kelson Lau and Kevin Smallwood completed the 12-week-long training program that covered not only an extensive variety of ocean rescue skills, but also Emergency Medical Responder and CPR skills, ATV/UTV and RWC operation, and communication protocols.

Maui County highlights in the House Finance Committee draft budgets for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 include $1.6 million in both fiscal years for Kamehameha III temporary school in Lahaina and $12 million in fiscal 2026 and $6 million in fiscal 2027 for Maui Health System.

As of Oct. 15, 2024, there are nearly 370 vacant corrections officer positions.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is kicking off a new multi-pronged recruitment campaign for adult corrections officers (ACO) beginning Monday, June 10, 2024.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation welcomed a new class of adult corrections officers at a graduation ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on May 10, 2024. Its 13 graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class 24-02 completed training and will begin their careers as corrections officers in facilities across the state.

The Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission confirmed the passing of founding Commissioner, Ted Sakai on Monday, March 18, 2024. He was described as “a beloved colleague, and friend.”

Sanna Muñoz was sworn in on Tuesday as the new Deputy Director of Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division of the new Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The change offers a new beginning for corrections in Hawaiʻi, as the newly formed Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation focuses its full attention, resources, and energy on rehabilitation and restoration to support those in the department’s custody and care.

This is the third shipping container within the last two weeks discovered during routine tariff inspections to have contained illegal fireworks. To date, the task force has seized nearly 105,000 pounds of illegal fireworks since its inception about five months ago.

The Illegal Fireworks Task Force seized approximately 17 tons (34,000 pounds) of illegal fireworks on Wednesday from a shipping container that falsely declared its contents as other items.

This was the final graduation ceremony for deputy sheriffs’ recruits under the Department of Public Safety.

This was the final BCRC graduating class under the Department of Public Safety. The department will soon split into two departments — Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Law Enforcement — effective. Jan. 1, 2024.

State officials recovered 494 firearms and distributed 82 gun locks at a Gun Buyback event held over the weekend in Honolulu and Waiʻanae on Oʻahu.

In unrelated incidents, Deputy Sheriffs arrested two individuals in Honolulu this week on extradition warrants out of other states.

Up until her appointment as Deputy Director for Corrections, Muñoz has served as the domestic violence unit probation supervisor for the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary Adult Client Services Branch in the Third Circuit, for the East Hawaiʻi section of Hawaiʻi Island.

In recent weeks, several people have had callers, claiming to be deputy sheriffs, tell them that they have outstanding warrants because they failed to appear in court.

Thirteen new deputies were added to the Department of Public Safety’s Sheriff Division and will be assigned to positions across the state.

The Department of Public Safety Sheriff Division recently held its inaugural Meritorious Awards and Leadership/Special Skills Award ceremony at the State Capitol auditorium, celebrating the outstanding achievements of deputies and civilian staff.

Sheriffs on Oʻahu arrested a man who allegedly brought a firearm and drug paraphernalia to a First Circuit Court building.

Fourteen recruits with the graduating class have completed basic training and will begin their careers as correctional officers in facilities across the state.