HPD News & Announcements

On May 15, 2010, Lucile Abreu was inducted into the Honolulu Police Department’s Hall of Fame.  During her career, Ms. Abreu went on to become the HPD’s first woman detective.  Along the way she faced gender discrimination and eventually prevailed in a lawsuit that has made lasting changes to the department.

Luclle Abreu entered the male dominated field of police work in the 1950s when women had few career choices and discrimination against women in the workplace was not only common but institutionalized.  Through her hard work, dedication, and willingness to challenge discrimination, she was able to make significant changes.

Ms. Abreu was initially hired under the civil service rank of “Policewoman” in 1953.  At that time, women were given lower paid assignments working with juvenile offenders and the women did not have chances for promotion.  Although Policewoman Abreu first passed the sergeants test in 1957 and continued to pass the promotional examination with the highest score, she was bypassed for promotion in favor of men.

Because of the discrimination that she and other women faced at the time, she felt compelled to file a federal discrimination lawsuit that expanded into a class action suit.  In a settlement with the City and County of Honolulu, the HPD agreed to hire women recruits and abolished the minimum height requirement of 5′8″ for all officers. 

Policewoman Abreu was promoted to detective in 1975 and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division.  Her last assignment was in the Sex Crimes Unit where she worked until her retirement in 1978.

There are currently 230 sworn women police officers who wear the badge of “Officer” instead of “Patrolman” because Detective Abreu challenged the system.

Lucile Abreu passed away in 1996, she was 78 years old.

Abreu photo provided by Honolulu Star Bulletin.

In keeping with Police Week tradition, the Honolulu Police Department honored its outstanding employees and a community partner who have made significant contributions to the department’s mission.  The Police Officer of the Year, Reserve Officer of the Year, Police Parent of the Year, Civilian Employee of the Year, and Citizenship Award were announced this morning at The 200 Club breakfast at the Waialae Country Club.  The following is a list of the award recipients:

Police Officer of the Year – Lieutenant Cary Okimoto
Lieutenant Cary Okimoto works in one of Honolulu’s busiest areas, District 6 Waikiki.  More than six million visitors arrive in Hawaii every year, and the majority of those vacationers spend time in Oahu’s busies tourist district.  Okimoto manages the district’s Power Watch, Bicycle Detail, Beach Patrol, and Fourth Watch which is comprised of the department’s newly graduated recruits.  Last year, Okimoto supervised 162 new officers who issued more than 10,300 moving violation citations, made 62 felony and more than 1,200 misdemeanor arrests, arrested 263 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and made over 150 drug arrests.  Okimoto also prepared operational plans for and managed security and traffic for 60 special events, including parades, block parties, and Sunset on the Beach.  He also worked closely with the City and County Department of Parks and Recreation on the new camping law.

Reserve Officer of the Year – Ronald C. T. Yap
Reserve Officer Ronald Yap has volunteered for the HPD reserve program for more than 30 years.  Last year he worked 560 hours, which is 320 hours more than required.  He is assigned to District 1’s Subpoena Detail and also assists the Narcotics/Vice Division with prostitution stings and covert operations.  He has also provided traffic and crowd control for numerous parades, protests, and dignitary security, and assisted in missing persons cases.  Officer Yap’s devotion to duty and experience are invaluable to the department.

Police Parent of the Year – Lieutenant Roy Y. Sugimoto
Lieutenant Roy Sugimoto is very involved in the parenting of his three boys, ages 13, 10 and 5.  He supervises them on field trips, assists with school fundraising, participates in Read Aloud America events, and regularly attends their many baseball and basketball games.  While raising them, he also earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from Wayland Baptist University.
Civilian Manager of the Year – Mr. Warren S. Izumigawa
Mr. Izumigawa demonstrates integrity, dedication to public service, and excellent leadership ability in his work as the Departmental Radio Communications Coordinator.  During the past year he helped to make the department more efficient by working with VHS and ITD to streamline the maintenance of mobile data computers in the blue and white vehicles.  That in turn reduced the amount of time cars were off the road.  He also changed hours of operation to accommodate officers who experienced radio and emergency light problems at night.  These are just two examples of innovative ideas Mr. Izumigawa has introduced that save the department time and money.

Citizenship Award Reverend – Joe Hunkin Jr.
The Reverend Joe Hunkin Jr. is head pastor of the Lighthouse Outreach Center Church in Waipahu.  Along with leading his congregation in worship, he regularly goes out into the community to conduct clean ups and provide for needy residents.  His Bless-A-Block program takes church members door-to-door to find out what residents need, such as food and furniture, and secures donors to provide the items.  This successful program has expanded to other churches on Oahu, Neighbor Islands, and the mainland.  He has also led graffiti paint outs and partnered with HPD in Project CLEAN.  Hunkin’s church also provides homeless people with a place to sleep and offers medical and social assistance with help from Hawaii Pacific University.

The 200 Club is an organization made up of approximately 200 prominent members of the community who actively support police officers and firefighters, especially during times of personal crisis.  The 200 Club also sponsors HPD programs and educational opportunities.  The men and women of the HPD salute and thank The 200 Club for its continued support.