Police Chief Mahuna to host public talk story session in Hilo

Hilo will get a direct test of Police Chief Reed K. Mahuna’s public-safety promises on Friday, May 29, when the Hawaii Police Department brings its “Talk Story with the Chief” forum to the Aupuni Center Conference Room. For one hour, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., residents will be able to press Mahuna and district commanders on the issues that most often shape trust in police: property crime, response times, neighborhood patrols and how quickly complaints turn into visible action.

The session will be held at 101 Pauahi Street in Hilo and is being billed as an informal public conversation rather than a formal presentation. The department says the gatherings are meant to give residents a chance to meet directly with police leadership, share concerns, ask questions and discuss public safety issues in an open setting. For Hilo, that means the value of the hour will depend less on speeches than on whether Mahuna leaves with concrete follow-up on the complaints people raise.

This Hilo stop is part of a new monthly series that is intended to rotate across Hawaii Island. The first session took place in Waimea on Feb. 17, followed by a meeting in Kapa‘au on April 21. By bringing the forums to different parts of the island, the department is trying to make local policing feel less distant, especially in communities that have long said they want more consistent communication with commanders who understand their districts.

Mahuna arrives at the microphone with more than 28 years in the department behind him. He was sworn in on Feb. 20, 2026, as the 13th police chief in Hawaii Police Department history, after the Hawaii County Police Commission selected him unanimously on Jan. 30 following a two-day hearing and interviews with eight finalists at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona. He had already been serving as interim chief since Sept. 1, 2025, after the retirement of Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz.

For Hilo residents, the immediate question is whether this forum becomes a real accountability checkpoint or just another stop on a rotating schedule. If the chief is going to use these sessions to rebuild public confidence, the answers will need to be specific: where patrols are being strengthened, how response times are being tracked, and when residents can expect follow-up after they leave the room.