Earlier this year, Mike Lambert threw a curve ball: He was leaving the top job at the Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement and returning to the Honolulu Police Department.
The move was the only way to obtain the full retirement benefits for 21 years of HPD service, he said. And he was applying to be HPD’s chief. As the only local candidate, he drew strong endorsements from Gov. Josh Green, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and 90% of the rank and file officers represented by the police union…