Kauaʻi’s next police chief is a veteran cop from Oʻahu who spent the last 35 years with the San Diego Police Department.
The Kauaʻi Police Commission on Friday voted to appoint San Diego Deputy Chief Rudy Tai to the chief position after a half-year search for a new leader to guide the department out of a well-publicized rut of morale issues. It is a conditional job offer, pending background checks.
“After many years working on the mainland, I am grateful for the opportunity to return home to Hawaiʻi,” Tai said in a prepared statement. “Since I was young my goal has always been to learn as much as I could and one day bring that knowledge back to serve my community.”
The decision caps months of speculation and uncertainty about the future of KPD amid the department’s struggles to address widespread employee dissatisfaction and recruit and retain staff. The department has an 18% officer vacancy rate…