Funeral Honors and Ceremonies for Police Personnel

Funeral ceremonies for personnel of the Honolulu
Police Department (HPD) shall be conducted in
accordance with this directive.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. The department shall participate officially
at the funeral of a deceased member who was on active
duty or retired from service. Participation will be
only after approval has been received from a member
of the decedent’s immediate family or from someone
acting on behalf of the family.

B. The Human Resources Division (HRD) shall be
in charge of all arrangements for departmental
participation. The HRD commander shall discharge
this responsibility in cooperation with the commanding
officer of a deceased who was on active duty or with
the family of a deceased who was retired from service.

FUNERAL HONORS

A. Recipients

Funeral honors will be accorded to the following
deceased, active duty or retired personnel or as otherwise specified:

1. All active and retired police officers,
helicopter pilots, and police recruit officers;

3. Reserve police chaplains on active duty;

4. Corrections personnel (only former Halawa
Jail guards and matrons who retired between January
2, 1961, and June 1, 1975);

5. Regular civilian employees currently employed
by the department or retired from the service of the department; and

6. A current or former member of the Honolulu Police Commission.

B. Funeral Ceremonies

1. “Full Honors” Ceremonies

a. “Full honors” ceremonies shall be extended to:

(1) Any employee killed in the line of duty;

(2) Active reserve police officers killed in the line of duty; and

(3) Active reserve police chaplains killed in the line of duty.

b. Departmental participation in these ceremonies shall extend to providing:

(1) Honor guard;

(2) Pallbearers;

(3) Police escort:

(a) The police escort shall not exceed one sergeant and six officers;

(b) If a motorcycle escort is used, the escort
shall lead the funeral procession with the sergeant
at the point and three officers on each side slightly
to the rear (wedge formation); and

(4) Twenty-one-gun salute;

(5) Departmental flag;

(6) Taps;

(7) Final salute fronting the Alapai headquarters;

(8) Final roll call; and

(9) Pass and review.

c. When the decedent is being buried with
military honors, the 21-gun salute and taps will
not be duplicated by the department. The
presentation of the department’s flag may be
included in the “full honors” ceremonies.

2. “Honors” Ceremonies

a. “Honors” ceremonies shall be extended to active:

(1) Police officers; and

(2) Police commissioners.

b. Departmental participation in these ceremonies shall extend to providing:

(1) Honor guard;

(2) Pallbearers;

(3) Presentation of the department’s flag; and

(4) Police escort:

(a) The police escort shall not exceed one sergeant and four officers;

(b) If a motorcycle escort is used, the escort
shall lead the funeral procession with the sergeant
at the point and two officers on each side slightly
to the rear (wedge formation); and

3. “Full Dress” Ceremonies

a. “Full dress” ceremonies shall be extended to all:

(1) Retired police officers;

(2) Active reserve police officers who expire outside the line of duty; and

(3) Regular civilian employees; and

(4) Retired reserve police officers; and

(5) Retired reserve police chaplains.

b. Departmental participation in these ceremonies shall extend to providing:

(1) Pallbearers;

(2) Presentation of the department’s flag; and

(3) Police escort:

(a) The police escort shall not exceed one sergeant and two officers;

(b) If a motorcycle escort is used, the escort
shall lead the funeral procession with the sergeant
at the point and one officer on each side slightly
to the rear (wedge formation); and

4. Whenever practicable, personnel participating
officially in such ceremonies shall be selected from
the organizational element to which the decedent was formally assigned.

5. In the event that the decedent is an active
reserve police officer, the selection of pallbearers
shall be made from the police reserve force and the
honor guard shall consist of active police officers.

6. Correctional Personnel

The HRD commander or a representative shall contact
the family to extend the department’s sympathy and
to offer the department’s participation in the funeral,
which would be limited to pallbearers.

C. Duties and Responsibilities of the HRD Commander

1. The HRD commander or a representative shall
personally call at the home of the deceased, acquaint
himself or herself with family conditions, inquire as
to the family’s wishes concerning departmental
participation in the funeral, and render to the
bereaved family every possible service and attention.

2. The HRD commander shall:

a. Be in complete charge of all arrangements
where official participation has been requested.
The HRD commander shall coordinate his or her
efforts with the commanding officer of the
deceased and with the commander of the Traffic Division;

b. Confer with the funeral director regarding necessary arrangements;

c. Publish the necessary notice regarding the
death of an employee of the HPD. The notice shall include:

(1) Name and rank of decedent;

(2) Date of death;

(3) Name and address of the funeral home; and

(4) Date, time, and location of services and interment;

d. Ensure that the proper number of participants
has been selected for official participation in the funeral ceremonies;

e. Confer with the superior officer designated as
the commander of the honor guard;

f. Arrange with the district commander for sufficient
personnel for traffic control;

g. Arrange with the division commander for escort and traffic control;

h. Arrange with the Specialized Services Division
(SSD) commander for a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps; and

I. Provide a departmental flag when necessary.

D. Honor Guard

1. Composition

The honor guard will consist of a platoon or 21
officers commanded by a lieutenant.

a. The platoon will be organized into two
squads of nine officers and one sergeant each.

b. Organizational Strength

One lieutenant (guard commander)
Two sergeants (squad leaders)
Eighteen patrol officers (honor guard members)

2. Dress

a. The honor guard shall be attired in full
uniform with white ascots and white gloves.

b. Keys, whistles, flashlights, batons, and
any item that protrudes from the pockets shall be omitted.

c. There shall be uniformity in the dress of
the honor guard. All members will be attired in
the same type of uniform and headdress.

E. Pallbearers

1. Composition

a. There shall be six pallbearers. Whenever
practicable, they shall be selected from the
organizational element to which the decedent was formerly assigned.

b. The pallbearers shall be under the direction
of the HRD commander and shall report to the funeral
director at a designated time for instructions and seating arrangements.

c. When the decedent was a police officer, the
pallbearers shall, whenever possible, be of the same rank.

d. When the decedent was a civilian, the
pallbearers may consist of civilians or police
officers or a combination of both.

2. Dress

a. Whenever the decedent was a police officer,
the uniform of the pallbearers shall be the same as that of the honor guard.

b. Whenever the decedent was a civilian, the
attire shall be the appropriate civilian clothing.

F. Rifle Squad–21-Gun Salute

1. Composition

The rifle squad will consist of eight officers:
seven in the firing party and a sergeant in command.
All shall be attired in full class A uniform with white ascots and white gloves.

2. Weapons

Appropriate weapons loaded with blanks and fitted with blank adapters shall be used.

PROCEDURE

A. At the Funeral Home

1. The guard commander shall assign two members
of the honor guard to take a post at the bier, one at
the head and one at the foot of the casket. Sufficient
honor guard members shall be assigned relief duties at
the discretion of the guard commander. The guard
commander shall also be responsible for the posting
of the guards at the bier in whatever manner is
deemed appropriate for that particular funeral home or church.

2. The honor guard post at the bier should be
maintained until the services or other appropriate
ceremonies have been completed; there should not
be any changing of the guards during the services
or ceremonies. Both guards will rejoin the honor
guard platoon immediately after the platoon offers
its last respects (see section III A 7 below).

This procedure may be altered by the guard commander
to conform to the general pattern of the ceremony or services.

3. The honor guard platoon will form at a predesignated assembly point.

4. The guard commander will lead the platoon,
in file column, into the building. The headdress
will be removed upon entering the building, held
by the right hand at the front of the visor, and placed over the left breast.

5. The platoon will proceed to the place reserved
for it and remain standing until all members have reached their places.

a. In unison, the platoon will be seated upon
receiving the order “Seats” from the guard commander.

b. The headdress may be held in the lap at this point.

6. Upon termination of religious services or
other appropriate ceremonies, the platoon will rise
in unison upon receiving the order “Rise” from the guard commander.

7. The headdress will be placed over the left
breast, and the platoon shall proceed in file column
to the bier to pay its last respects. After that,
the platoon will file out of the building.

8. The platoon will form two parallel ranks
extending from the hearse, providing an avenue
through which the casket and pallbearers will pass.

9. A variation of this formation may be necessary
due to the availability of maneuvering space.

10. As the casket and pallbearers leave the building,
the guard commander will give the command, “Platoon, attention!”

a. This shall be followed by the command, “Present arms!”

b. The salute will be held until the casket has
been placed aboard the hearse. The guard commander
will then give the command, “Order arms!” At the
command, “Arms,” the right hand shall be brought
smartly to the side from the salute and the position of attention resumed.

11. The platoon will then be dismissed from
formation and will join the funeral procession.

B. At the Church

1. The platoon will form two parallel ranks
extending from the hearse, providing an avenue
through which the casket and pallbearers will pass.

2. Prior to the casket being removed from the
hearse, the platoon will be brought to attention.

As the casket is removed from the hearse, the guard
commander will give the command, “Present arms!” and
the salute will be held until the casket has been
borne to the front entrance of the church. The guard
commander will then give the command, “Order arms!”

3. The platoon will then be led in file column
into the church by the guard commander following the
same procedure as that for the funeral home. Seating
arrangements should be at the rear of the church so
that the platoon may be able to get into formation
prior to departing from the church.

4. Upon completion of the religious service,
the platoon will leave the church and form two
parallel ranks extending from the hearse, providing
an avenue through which the casket and pallbearers will pass.

5. “Present arms” will again be executed,
adopting the same procedure as that when departing from the funeral home.

6. Once the casket has been placed aboard the
hearse, the platoon will be dismissed from formation
and will join the funeral procession.

C. At the Cemetery

1. Honor Guard

The platoon will be reformed and marched to the
head of the place of interment (perpendicular to
the grave). The platoon will remain at attention
until the graveside ceremonies are completed and
the final salute has been given.

2. Rifle Squad

a. The rifle squad will be pre-positioned at an
appropriate distance from the gravesite.

b. When the service has been completed, the squad
will fire three 7-round volleys. After firing, it
will assume the position of attention at port arms.

3. Taps

The bugler will be positioned near the firing
party and will sound taps immediately after the
firing party has been brought to present arms.

4. Flag Ceremony

After taps is played, the SSD flag contingent
will move into position around the coffin,
lift the flag from it, and systematically fold
the flag into the shape of a cocked hat. When
folded, the flag will be passed to the SSD
officer at the head of the casket, who will
place the flag into the hands of a ranking
officer. The SSD officer will salute the
flag for three seconds, and then the flag
contingent will march away. The ranking
officer will then present the flag to the
next of kin and salute the flag for three seconds.

BADGE MOURNING BANDS

A. Badge mourning bands shall be a 3/8-inch
wide, black elastic band. The band shall be worn
horizontally across the badge, directly above the
rank designation. The band shall not cover the badge
number, rank designation, or the words “Honolulu” or “Police.”

B. Civilians and plainclothes officers may
wear the band across the police identification
card so that it is near the bottom of the
employee’s picture and above the words “CERTIFIES
THAT.” The band shall not cover any of the words.

C. Each element is responsible for issuing the bands to its sworn personnel.

D. Badge mourning bands may be worn in honor
of a deceased member of the department only under
the following circumstances unless otherwise
authorized by the Chief of Police.

1. “Full Honors” Ceremonies

a. If ceremonies are provided, bands may
be worn from the date of death until midnight of the date of the ceremonies.

b. If ceremonies are declined, bands may be
worn for one week after the date of death.

2. “Honors” and “Full Dress” Ceremonies

Bands may be worn only while attending the ceremonies.

E. Badge mourning bands shall be worn by
pallbearers, honor guards, and police escorts
while participating in the above ceremonies.
VARIATION IN PROCEDURE

These procedures shall be adhered to as much as
possible. Any necessary changes shall be made by the HRD commander.