Hawaii Department of Public Safety
Encyclopedia
The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is a department with in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state
of Hawaii
. It is headquartered in Room 400 in the 919 Ala Moana Boulevard building in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu. The Department of Public Safety is made up of three divisions.
, some inmates prefer to stay in the mainland because they belief the private facilities will provide superior access to educational programs, drug treatment programs, and other programs that a prisoner would complete before he or she is considered for parole. Some prisoners, particularly prisoners who have young children and families, prefer to stay in Hawaii.
Its prisons include:
The agency previously operated the Kulani Correctional Facility in Hawaii County, on the Island of Hawaii. In 2009 the state announced that Kulani would close.
As of 2010 the majority of Hawaii's male prison population is housed by the Corrections Corporation of America
-operated Saguaro Correctional Center
, located in Eloy
, Arizona
.
The Court Services Section provides the judiciary with bailiffs, security officers and corrections officers through the deputies assigned to the courts. Although Hawaii Revised Statutes section 606-0014 require the judiciary's bailiffs to exercise police powers in the courthouse, neither the judiciary nor the Sheriff's Division operate in accordance with section 606-0014. Some of the duties of a Court Services Section deputy include, but are not limited to, the duties of Adult Corrections Officers and Bailiffs. Deputy Sheriffs function as adult corrections officers by guarding inmates in the courthouse. Deputy Sheriffs function as bailiffs by fulfilling the requirements of HRS 606-0014 for the bailiffs. Deputy Sheriffs also function as tour guides and clerks for the judiciary.
The Special Operations Section, Fugitive Unit, or more commonly referred to as the Warrants Unit is also attached to the Court Services Branch. This plain clothes unit is primarily tasked with the execution of various felony and traffic arrest warrants. Other duties include but are not limited to the execution of writs of possession and assisting other Law Enforcement Agencies on Oahu and the neighbor islands when requested.
Although the judiciary requires the sheriff division to perform the duties of the judiciary's bailiffs, the judiciary ordered the Sheriff's Division to remove their booking desk from the district court house on Oahu. As a result, the sheriff's receiving desk is currently being operated out of the Halawa Correctional Facility. Receiving Desk Deputies are primarily responsible for the booking, processing, securing, searching, and transporting of arrestees.
The Capitol Section provides an immediate law enforcement presence at the Hawaii State Capitol, Hawaii Civic Center Complex, Washington Place, and other locations deemed necessary by factors other than public safety related statistics. In the past, deputies would, at times, arrest or cite violators of statute or ordinance during a patrol to and from immediate areas of responsibility.
The Executive Protection Unit is tasked, although not statutorily, with the physical protection of the Governor and Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaii.
The Airport Sheriff Detail provides law enforcement services in and around the Honolulu International Airport.
Security Services at the Hawaii State Hospital, Waimano Training School and Hospital, and Fort Ruger at the Department of Defense are overseen by the Sheriff Division. Security personnel assigned to those respective entities are not Deputy Sheriffs. Due to financial constraints some of the security positions were eliminated and contracted out.
The K9 Services Section utilizes canines to detect narcotics and explosives on limited state properties on the island of Oahu.
In 2007, the Sheriff Division was the first agency in the state to be certified with a Department of Homeland Security type III SWAT
Team. The team could theoretically respond to an incident on state property on the island of Oahu if it were needed.
A Sheriff's Chaplain Corps began with one chaplain in 2004. Chaplains volunteer their time to assist in times of need. In 2009, 3 uniformed chaplains serve all sections and units within the Sheriff Division.
Sheriff's Office facilities:
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It is headquartered in Room 400 in the 919 Ala Moana Boulevard building in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu. The Department of Public Safety is made up of three divisions.
Administration
The Administration Division provides support services that enable the corrections staff to fulfill their responsibilities. Some of these services include training and staff development, fiscal and personnel management, management of the operating budget and capital improvements program budget, procurement, management information systems and research.Prisons
The Corrections Division oversees four prisons. Three of the prisons are located on the island of Oahu and one on the island of Hawaii. The Mainland Section contracts with three facilities, one in Kentucky and two in Arizona, to house prisoners sentenced in Hawaii. About 1,900 male inmates are contracted to Arizona. In 1995 the State of Hawaii began contracting with prisons outside of Hawaii to house Hawaiian prisoners. The criteria for sending inmates to private prisons on the mainland include a minimum sentence of 24 months, a lack of pending criminal cases in Hawaii, and a lack of major health and medical issues. Daphne Barbee, an attorney, said that she had clients with cases pending who were sent to the mainland anyway. According to Kevin Dayton of the Honolulu AdvertiserHonolulu Advertiser
The Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions...
, some inmates prefer to stay in the mainland because they belief the private facilities will provide superior access to educational programs, drug treatment programs, and other programs that a prisoner would complete before he or she is considered for parole. Some prisoners, particularly prisoners who have young children and families, prefer to stay in Hawaii.
Its prisons include:
- Halawa Correctional FacilityHalawa Correctional FacilityHalawa Correctional Facility is a prison in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu. It is operated by the Hawaii Department of Public Safety. The prison is in proximity to the communities of Aiea and Halawa....
- Waiawa Correctional Facility
- Women's Community Correctional Center
The agency previously operated the Kulani Correctional Facility in Hawaii County, on the Island of Hawaii. In 2009 the state announced that Kulani would close.
As of 2010 the majority of Hawaii's male prison population is housed by the Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States and manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000...
-operated Saguaro Correctional Center
Saguaro Correctional Center
The Saguaro Correctional Center is a prison operated by the Corrections Corporation of America located in Eloy, Arizona. The prison contracts with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety. As of 2010 the prison, located in the Sonoran Desert, houses the majority of the State of Hawaii's male prison...
, located in Eloy
Eloy, Arizona
Eloy is a city in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 10,855.-Geography:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Jails
Hawaii is one of six states in the United States that operates its jails at the state level. Traditionally, jails are the responsibility of county government. The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is responsible for four jails: one on each of the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai.Law Enforcement
Although the department is required by Hawaii Revised Statute 26-0014 to have public safety related objectives and functions, the law enforcement division does not address the statistically greatest public safety related law enforcement issues.Narcotics Enforcement Division
The Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) enforces laws relating to controlled substances and regulated chemicals. The NED is responsible for the registration and control of the manufacture, distribution, prescription, and dispensing of controlled substances and precursor or essential chemicals within Hawaii.Sheriff Division
The Sheriff Division is one of the two law enforcement divisions within the Department of Public Safety. All sworn deputy sheriff personnel are statutorily law enforcement officers although that is not their primary function. The majority of the deputy sheriffs do not function as public safety law enforcement officers. Most deputy sheriffs function as security guards for one of the three branches of government: executive, legislative or judicial.The Court Services Section provides the judiciary with bailiffs, security officers and corrections officers through the deputies assigned to the courts. Although Hawaii Revised Statutes section 606-0014 require the judiciary's bailiffs to exercise police powers in the courthouse, neither the judiciary nor the Sheriff's Division operate in accordance with section 606-0014. Some of the duties of a Court Services Section deputy include, but are not limited to, the duties of Adult Corrections Officers and Bailiffs. Deputy Sheriffs function as adult corrections officers by guarding inmates in the courthouse. Deputy Sheriffs function as bailiffs by fulfilling the requirements of HRS 606-0014 for the bailiffs. Deputy Sheriffs also function as tour guides and clerks for the judiciary.
The Special Operations Section, Fugitive Unit, or more commonly referred to as the Warrants Unit is also attached to the Court Services Branch. This plain clothes unit is primarily tasked with the execution of various felony and traffic arrest warrants. Other duties include but are not limited to the execution of writs of possession and assisting other Law Enforcement Agencies on Oahu and the neighbor islands when requested.
Although the judiciary requires the sheriff division to perform the duties of the judiciary's bailiffs, the judiciary ordered the Sheriff's Division to remove their booking desk from the district court house on Oahu. As a result, the sheriff's receiving desk is currently being operated out of the Halawa Correctional Facility. Receiving Desk Deputies are primarily responsible for the booking, processing, securing, searching, and transporting of arrestees.
The Capitol Section provides an immediate law enforcement presence at the Hawaii State Capitol, Hawaii Civic Center Complex, Washington Place, and other locations deemed necessary by factors other than public safety related statistics. In the past, deputies would, at times, arrest or cite violators of statute or ordinance during a patrol to and from immediate areas of responsibility.
The Executive Protection Unit is tasked, although not statutorily, with the physical protection of the Governor and Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaii.
The Airport Sheriff Detail provides law enforcement services in and around the Honolulu International Airport.
Security Services at the Hawaii State Hospital, Waimano Training School and Hospital, and Fort Ruger at the Department of Defense are overseen by the Sheriff Division. Security personnel assigned to those respective entities are not Deputy Sheriffs. Due to financial constraints some of the security positions were eliminated and contracted out.
The K9 Services Section utilizes canines to detect narcotics and explosives on limited state properties on the island of Oahu.
In 2007, the Sheriff Division was the first agency in the state to be certified with a Department of Homeland Security type III SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
Team. The team could theoretically respond to an incident on state property on the island of Oahu if it were needed.
A Sheriff's Chaplain Corps began with one chaplain in 2004. Chaplains volunteer their time to assist in times of need. In 2009, 3 uniformed chaplains serve all sections and units within the Sheriff Division.
Sheriff's Office facilities:
- Headquarters - Pier 20 - Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
- Honolulu International Airport Unit
- Circuit Court
- District Court (Including Ewa and Kaneohe Courts)
- Kapolei Court
- State Capitol
- Receiving Desk - Halawa Correctional Facility
- Hilo Court Section
- Kona Court Section
- Kauai Court Section
- Maui Court Section
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety, only one officer has died in the line of duty.See also
- Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
- Honolulu Police DepartmentHonolulu Police DepartmentThe Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
- List of law enforcement agencies in Hawaii
- Department of Public SafetyDepartment of Public SafetyThe Department of Public Safety , also called an Office of Public Safety, is a state or local government umbrella agency in the United States which serves to assist the certain agencies in their services by providing administrative, financial, and technical services and support for core public...
- State policeState policeState police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
- State patrol
- Highway patrolHighway patrolA highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
- List of United States state correction agencies
- List of U.S. state prisons
- PrisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...