Honolulu Police Chief Vows 100 More Patrol Officers to Cut Overtime

The Honolulu Police Department is increasing its patrol workforce by 100 officers to manage operational costs. Chief David Lazar announced the staffing shift during a public forum held on Thursday night at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.

Lazar stated that the primary financial driver for the change is the department's high expenditure on overtime. He explained that the agency is currently utilizing funds outside its standard budget line items to cover extra hours. By placing additional officers on regular patrol schedules, the department intends to reduce this variable cost.

"We’re spending money that doesn’t belong to HPD, we’re spending so much of it," Lazar told the gathering. "That was really another reason why we needed to put more officers back on patrol."

The shift required adjustments to existing programs following community feedback. Residents expressed concern that personnel would be pulled from popular youth initiatives. Lazar acknowledged the outcry, specifically mentioning the Police Activities League, a boxing program in Waianae, and the Junior Police Officer program. He adjusted the plan to preserve these popular community-facing units while still meeting the patrol headcount target.

Traffic enforcement emerged as a major focus of the discussion, with attendees citing excessive speeding on Oahu freeways. Patrick McPherson, a traffic defense attorney, noted that drivers regularly travel at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. He argued that visible enforcement deters speeding. McPherson pointed out that the department has historically employed up to 47 solo bike officers for this duty.

Lazar admitted the current roster stands at only ten solo bike officers. He said the department is in the process of reassigning four officers to traffic units, which will raise the count to 14. He stated that reaching 40 officers is the realistic minimum for effective enforcement, with plans to exceed that number in the future.