Hawaii County Police Commission office closes temporarily amid staffing issues

The Hilo office for the Hawaii County Police Commission closed to the public Tuesday, cutting off walk-in access to the county panel that handles misconduct complaints and oversees police leadership. Residents can still file complaints, but they now have to use the drop box at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 9, in Aupuni Center, mail their paperwork, or send written testimony by email.

The County of Hawaii said the office closure was tied to staffing shortages. Even without staff on site, the county said the drop box will be checked regularly, complaints will be processed as they are received, and all mail sent to the Police Commission will continue to be received and processed. Public testimony for commission meetings may also be submitted to Police.Commission@hawaiipolice.gov, or left in the office drop box, with written testimony due by noon two business days before a meeting.

The change matters because the Police Commission is the civilian body that appoints the police chief, reviews the chief’s budget, receives and investigates public misconduct complaints, and advises on police-community relations. Its complaint form says misconduct complaints generally must be received within 90 days of the incident, which makes the new off-site filing options especially important for residents trying to preserve their right to review.

The closure also lands against a larger backdrop of oversight concerns. A county auditor report released before the office shut down identified procedural gaps in Police Commission oversight and insufficient internal resources for mental health initiatives at the Hawaii Police Department. Together, those findings point to more than a one-day staffing problem and raise questions about whether civilian oversight is being stretched thin just as residents are being told to rely on slower, less direct channels.

The commission’s current public materials also show a vacancy in District 6, another sign of strain inside the system that is supposed to give Hawaii Island residents a direct path to accountability. The roster otherwise lists Charisse Correa as secretary at the Hilo office number, 808-932-2950, even as the counter itself remains closed. For now, complaints and testimony are still moving, but the process has shifted away from face-to-face access and toward mail, email and a regularly checked drop box.