The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) has recently kicked off what is being touted as its largest recruit class in four years. The recruit class, numbered 218, consists of 36 individuals who began their training at the Ke Kula Māka‘i training academy located in Waipahu on Monday, as stated in a news release from the Honolulu Police Department.
Demonstrating the department’s emphasis on community and family support, HPD organized a Family Orientation Night for the 218th Recruit Class. Attending families were treated to refreshments, participated in fellowship and received a briefing on what the training for their loved ones entails, which includes the handling of firearms and conducted electric weapons, as well as steering through the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC). Despite the complex nature of the training, with firearms and electric weapons being intricate pieces of police work, Mahalo to the new recruits and their families was expressed for their dedication to serve with ‘aloha’.
The recent influx of recruits comes at a time when many police departments nationwide are struggling to fill their ranks. HPD’s effort to bulk its force appears to be an attempt to counteract this trend. The initiation process for these 36 men and women might prove to be both physically and psychologically demanding…