The Honolulu Police Department,rs volunteer policing program sha1I
be administ.ered in accordance with this policy.
DEFINITION
Volunteer special enforcement, officer (VSEO): A civilian
volunteer, without salary, who is commissioned by rhe Chief
of Police as a special police officer as authorized by Iaw
and/or administrative rule.
LAWS AIID RULES
A. Chapter 2, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH),
authorizes the Chief of Police to commission volunteers
as special enforcement officers.
B. Rule 13, Rules of the Chief of Police, provides for the
appointment of special police officers.
VOLUNTEER SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
A. Term of Commission
The term of a VSEO shall be limited to two years,
subject to recommissioning.
E. Qualifications
1. Each VSEO shall:
a. Complete a volunteer application;
b. Be a United States citizen, a resident of the
city, and at 1east 21 years of age;
c. Pass a background investigation;
d. Possess a valid State of Hawaii driver’s
license,
e. Possess a high school diploma, General
Eguivalency Diploma, or its equivalent;
f. Meet the gualifications for a special police
commission; and
g. Conform to departmental standards of conduct,
directives, orders, policies, and procedures
(both on and off duty).
2. In addition, each VSBO shall be required to
satisfactorily pass a physical examinati.on, oral
interview, and background investigation and meet
any other prescribed criteria.
3. Any person serving in the volunteer disabled
parking enforcement, program prior to July 1, 2004,
who does not meet the full qualifications of the
volunteer policing program, may continue to
enforce disabled parking laws but not any other
laws.
These VSEOs shall be exempt from the training
program unless they will be enforcing other laws
in addition to disabled parking laws.
C. Duties and Work Arrangements
Each VSEO shall agree to:
1. Work a minimum number of 20 hours per month; and
2. Serve at designated locations as assigned by the
Chief of Police or designee.
D. Reporting for Duty/Absences
l. VSEOs shall report for duty prompt1y as scheduled.
2. Three unexcused absences during a 12-month period
shall be cause for severance from the program.
3. A VSEO desiring a leave of absence shall submit a
Request for leave, HPD-357 form, via channels, to
the commander of the element the VSEO is assigned.
E. Transfers
A VSEO desiring to be transferred from one element to
another shal1 submit a To/From reguest via the chain of
command to the Human Resources Division (HRD)
commander. In addition, the commander of the element
where the VSEO desires to tranefer shal1 also submit a
To/From report to the HRD commander acknowledging his
or her willingness to accept the VSEO.
L. All transfers shall be processed in accordance
with procedures established for civilian employees
(e.g., endorsement/comment by supervisors,
submission via channels, ete. ).
2. Consideration will be given to those with special
abilities in a particular field.
VSEO shall be transferred without the approval
the Chief of Police.
F. Separation
1. Resignaton
A VSEO may resign from the program by submitting a
resignation form to the Chief of Police. To
resign in good standing, a VSEO must submit the
notice of resignation at least 14 calendar days prior
to the date of separation. Failure to give
such notice shall result in forfeiture of the
right to reinstatement.
2. Dismissal
a. The Chief of police may dismiss a VSEO when the VSEO is in
violation of departmental standards of conduct or
directives or when the Chief considers
the dismissal to be for
the good of the department.
b. VSEOs terminated for cause shall not again be eligible for
volunteer work in the department.
c. VSEOs shall be summarily dismissed from the
departmeni if their employment constitutes a conflict of
interest with their police service.
G. Reinstatement
A VSEO who resigns in good standing may be granted
reinstatement rights. Such eligibility shall be limited
to three years starting from the date of
resignation.
H. Personal Status
VSEOs shall notify the HRD via the commander of their
assigned element of any changes in home address,
telephone number, employment, and marital status and of
any additions to the family or deaths in the immediate family.
Such notification shall be made on a
Notification of Change of Status, HPD-349 form.
ELEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Traffic Division
The Traffic Division sha1l be responsible for:
1. Coordinating the recruitment and assignment of the
VSEOs with the HRD and applicable elements or
agencies.
2. Coordinating the necesaary entry
other elements, departments, or
B. Initial training of VSEOs shalI be specific to
their assigned duties.
3. Administering those volunteer disabled parking
enforcement officers who have completed their
training prior to July 1, 2004, and are unable to
meet the requirements of the volunteer policing
program.
a. These VSEOs sha1l be exempt from the training
program unless they will be enforcing other
laws in addition to disabled parking laws.
b. These VSEOs may continue to enforce disabled
parking laws but may not enforce other laws
unless meeting the qualifications of the
volunteer policing program.
c. The division shaIl adhere to section IV D
as it applies to the management of these VSEOs.
4. Submitting to the Chief of Police an annual report
based on the compilation of information obtained
from the applicable elements and agencies to
include the number of V$EOs used, number and types
of citations issued, and costs involved.
B. Records and Identification Division
1. The Records and Identification Division shal1 be
responsible for:
a. Issuing special police commissions for the
VSEOs, including performing the necessary
tasks (e.g., background checks) for the
issuance of commissions; and
b. Issuing speeial police commission
identification cards.
2. The division shal1 submit personnel information on
the VSEOs to the HRg and Traffic Division.
C. Human Resources Division
The HRD sha1l be responsible for the following:
1. Recruiting and coordinating with the applicable
element,s/agencies in the processing of the VSEOs for employment,
2. Maintaining personnel records of the VSEOs in a
manner eonsistent with record keeping for civilian
employees, and
3. Issuing volunteer identification cards.
D. Element Commanders
Element commanders with assigned VSEOs shall:
1. Provide appropriate training to enable the VSEOs
to carry out their duties;
2. Maintain activity sheets and duplicate copies of
mileage reports and statistical reports on the
VSEOs, participation in the programs;
3. Maintain training records of the VSEOs;
4. Obtain and issue required equipment (e.g.,
citation books, forms, etc.);
5. Provide the VSEOs with the necessary forms (e.g.,
Volunteers Activity Sheet, HPD-497M form; Citation
Turned in by Officer, HPD-159 form; etc.);
6. Ensure that the volunteer activity sheets
(HPD-497M form, HPD-159 form, etc.) are completed
and collected daily;
7 . Ensure that the VSEOs monthly mileage sheets are
completed and submitted to the Finance Division;
8. Ensure that the VSEOs are provided supervision,
evaluation, and management;
9. Assign and adjust the VSEOs’ work schedules and/or
hours as necessary; and
10. Submit an annual report (Ju1y 1 to June 30) to the
Traffic Division no later than July 7 of each
year.
Each annual report sha1l include the number of
VSEOs utilized, number and types of citations
issued, and costs associated with volunteer
enforcement officers.
OUTSIDE AGENCIES
outside agencies wishing to participate in the department’s
vorunteer policing program sharr obEain approvar from
the Chief of Police and coordinate their recruitment and
management of the VSEOs with the department.