HPD proud of history and uniqueness

The Honolulu Police Department is proud of the many things that make it one of the most unique police departments in the nation.  In addition to having one of the top five training academies in the nation, the HPD is one of the few police departments to have its own accredited scientific investigation section that serves the whole pacific. Despite these achievements, what the HPD has that other police departments do not is a unique history.
           
“We had an organized Police force almost ten years before New York City, and about five years after London England” said Officer Eddie Croom, curator of the Honolulu Police Department's Law Enforcement museum.

The Beginning

The history begins with the Ilamuku – the first law enforcers of Hawai’i appointed by King Kamehameha I.  They were seen as the extension of God and the king, and from there they evolved as the rich history of Hawai’I unfolded.  When Hawai’i became a territory, the citizen’s guard became the self-proclaimed police force in Honolulu.  During the period, they were one of the only police forces with no official police power for about a year.
           
The attack on Pearl Harbor marked the first time a police force was attacked by a foreign enemy.  “During the attack the first three minutes of the attack, we had two police cars that were actually fired upon by Japanese fighter planes” explained Officer Croom.  After the attack, a total of 32 officers were awarded medals of valor by the U.S. military for their assistance.
           
The Badge

Nothing says as much about the HPD as the Badge.  Designed by Alfred Karratti in 1952, everything on the HPD badge has a special meaning to Honolulu’s officers.  The red, white, and blue colors on the badge symbolize the Hawaiian Islands.  The yellow is taken from the yellow cloak that only the king was allowed to wear, and shows the power that was given to the Ilamuku from the king.  The green in the middle represents the “Law of the Splintered Paddle”; Hawaii’s first law that still stands today.  The sides of the badge pay tribute to the flora and fauna of the island.  And at the top of the badge lies the eagle symbolizing America, with its head looking to the right meaning “righteousness”.
           
These are only some of the things that make HPD so unique. To learn more about the HPD, you can visit the Law Enforcement Museum at 801 south Beretania St.  It is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.