Public Interviews for Eight Hawaiʻi County Police Chief Candidates Jan. 29-30

The Hawaiʻi County Police Commission will interview eight candidates for the county police chief post during public sessions Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center in Kailua-Kona. Meetings will begin at 9 a.m. each day in the County Council Chambers and are open to in-person attendance and live viewing online.

The slate of candidates reflects a mix of internal and external contenders. Internal candidates include Reed Mahuna, the interim police chief for the Hawaiʻi Police Department, and Kenneth Quiocho, assistant chief with the Hawaiʻi Police Department. External applicants bring a range of mainland and Pacific experience: Chad Janis, captain with the Yakima Police Department in Washington; Jennifer Krauss, assistant chief in Cheverly, Maryland; Anthony Kumamaru, retired lieutenant from the Las Vegas Department of Public Safety; John Matagi, captain with the Washington State Patrol; Timothy Wilson, former chief of police in Niue in the Pacific Islands; and Paul Yang, retired lieutenant from the San Diego Police Department.

The commission invited 11 applicants for interviews and set a Jan. 20 deadline for them to respond; eight candidates will be interviewed during the two-day public process. Interviews conducted in open session create a formal opportunity for public oversight at a moment when leadership decisions will shape department policy, training priorities, and community-police relations across the Big Island.

For residents who cannot attend in person, the commission provided Zoom access for each day: Jan. 29 at zoomgov.com/j/1605555204 and Jan. 30 at zoomgov.com/j/1601026847. Holding the interviews in the County Council Chambers underscores the administrative importance of the appointment and situates the process at a central civic venue in Kailua-Kona.

The choice of police chief will affect operational priorities across Hawaiʻi County, from resource allocation to policing strategies in rural moku and population centers alike. The presence of candidates with local institutional knowledge, such as Mahuna and Quiocho, contrasts with applicants who offer outside perspectives and varied jurisdictional experience. That balance will be a key consideration for the Police Commission as it weighs continuity against potential reform and new approaches.

After the Jan. 29-30 interviews, the commission will continue the selection process under its established procedures. For residents, observing the open sessions is the primary way to follow candidate presentations and assess how each contender addresses leadership, accountability, and public safety for the Big Island.