Welcome to the Hawaii Police Department’s recruitment section.

The department is always looking for qualified candidates who want to become a police officer. This section is divided into three separate subsections. They are:

The requirements section describes the requirements you must possess in order to qualify for becoming a police officer.

The benefits section describes the benefits that police officers enjoy.

The application section describes how you can apply for a position with the Hawaii County Police Department.

The Hawaii Police Department accepts lateral transfers from other law enforcement organizations within the state of Hawaii at the Police officer II level. All applicants must go through the police recruit training.

If you have further questions, you may click on the “Feedback” button to send us e-mail or call our Community Relations Section at (808) 961-2263.

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Requirements

Recruitment is open on a continuous basis for Police Officer I. You may check for open recruitment for other county positions by selecting “Employment Opportunities” at the county’s website.

In addition, an applicant must:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Be a U.S. citizen (either born or naturalized), American national or permanent resident alien.
  • Have a valid driver’s license from Hawaii or comparable license from another state.
  • Have a combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from high school.
  • Be qualified to carry and possess any firearm or ammunition in accordance with state and federal laws. Persons convicted of domestic violence, whether convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, will not be considered for a position because federal law prohibits them from carrying firearms.

An applicant must have:

  • A correct ratio of weight to height according to standards set by the County’s Pre-Entry Medical Examination Guide.
  • Good eyesight. Candidates for employment must have 20/20 binocular vision with or without correction. Those who wear soft contact lens must have at least 20/200 vision before correction to 20/20, and those wearing hard contact lenses or glasses must have 20/40 binocular vision before correction to 20/20.
  • Good physical condition and agility according to standards set by the County’s Pre-Entry Medical Examination Guide.

The Pre-Entry Medical Examination Guide is on file for public inspection at the Department of Human Resources, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii 96720.

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Benefits

The starting salary for Police Officer I is $3,585 a month, or $43,020 a year. After 18 months, the salary will increase to $3,727 a month, or $44,724 per year. Officers also receive night differential pay and time and a half for holiday work and overtime.

Fringe benefits include:

  • Holidays — 13 paid days a year, plus all election days except the primary election.
  • Vacation — 21 working days a year. The unused portion may be accumulated up to 90 days.
  • Sick leave — 21 working days a year. The unused portion may also be accumulated towards retirement.
  • Military leave — full pay for up to 15 working days a year for active duty or annual training.
  • Funeral leave — three working days with pay for death of qualified family member.
  • Accidental injury leave — upon choice of plan, full pay up to 120 working days for each work-related injury.
  • Health insurance — self or family medical, drug, vision and adult dental insurance partly subsidized by the County of Hawaii.
  • Life insurance — fully subsidized group life insurance for $26,000. Coverage varies with the age of the employee.
  • Uniforms and equipment — furnished by the Hawaii County Police Department.
  • Automobile subsidy — monthly allowance for private automobiles in police use, plus fuel and oil and tax-exempt motor vehicle registration if position requires the use of a vehicle.
  • Retirement — eligible for retirement with 25 years of service.

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How to Apply

To be considered for any vacant position with the County Police Department, you must file an application with the Hawaii County Department of Human Resources, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii 96720. You may phone the county’s 24-hour job hotline at (808) 961-8618 or apply in Hanama Place, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740. Text telephone users (for persons with hearing or speech impairments, can call the Department of Human Resources at (808) 961-8619.

The Department of Human Resources schedules employment examinations monthly.

Candidates who successfully pass the written test must undergo a physical agility test. If they pass the physical test, they then must undergo a suitability background investigation, an oral interview conducted by a review board, a polygraph test, psychological assessment and a drug urinalysis test. Finally, if conditionally offered employment, candidates must pass a pre-employment medical examination.

Recruitment Ad

See the county's recruitment ad here.

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