Rudy Tai Sworn In as Kauai Police Chief After 35 Years in San Diego

Rudy Tai took the oath of office as Chief of the Kauai Police Department on Monday morning in a private ceremony at KPD headquarters, capping a months-long selection process that drew 42 applicants from across the country. A larger public swearing-in is scheduled for Monday, March 30, at 11:30 a.m. at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihue.

"I am honored to be entrusted with leading the men and women of the Kauai Police Department," Tai said. "I look forward to serving this community and working side-by-side with our officers to keep Kauai safe now and into the future."

Tai, 60, retired just last week as Deputy Chief of the San Diego Police Department after more than 35 years with the agency, where he was the highest-ranking Asian and Pacific Islander officer to serve as deputy chief in the department's history. Born and raised in Pearl City on O'ahu, he left Hawaii for California to pursue higher education and a law enforcement career, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in sociology, a master's degree in management, and a place among the graduates of the FBI National Academy. He also serves as president of the National Association of Asian American Law Enforcement Commanders.

The Kauai Police Commission selected Tai at its November 21 meeting, choosing him from a pool of four finalists. The job, which carries a salary of $181,800, attracted 42 applicants in total. His appointment became formal after he cleared all background checks and signed his employment contract.

Police Commission Chair Laurie Yoshida called the appointment a strong fit for the department. "Chief Tai brings extensive command experience and a strong commitment to community-focused policing," Yoshida said. "The commission is confident in this appointment and looks forward to his leadership of the Kauai Police Department." Mayor Derek Kawakami echoed that assessment: "Chief Tai's appointment provides experienced, forward-looking leadership for KPD and reflects our shared commitment to public safety and service." KPD Interim Chief Elliott Kalani Ke, who led the department in the transition period, said he is confident Tai "will support our officers and continue the department's focus on professionalism, accountability and community trust."

Tai has been direct about what he wants to change. "As chief, I want to be approachable and I want our officers to be visible," he said. "Just because a police officer is there doesn't mean something's wrong. I want to flip that script. I want officers walking around because I want people to feel safe." He has outlined plans to develop a leadership training program, boost recruitment, and build stronger relationships with business owners, religious leaders, politicians, and residents through public meetings, listening sessions, and crime-data analysis aimed at preventing crime before it occurs.

His ties to Kauai are personal as well as professional. While most of his family lives on O'ahu, several relatives live in Hanalei on the island's North Shore. Of Hawaiian and Chinese descent, Tai said the decades in San Diego never severed his connection to the place he came from. "Even though I left the islands," he said, "the aloha spirit always stayed with me."

His interest in law enforcement traces back to age 12, when mentorship from local officers in Pearl City inspired him to become a junior police officer at Highlands Elementary School. Now, after more than three and a half decades policing one of the nation's largest cities, he returns to Hawaii trading, in his words, six-lane freeways for two-lane roads.