Hawaiʻi Police Department
South Kohala District, Area II
Captain Sherry D. Bird
Phone: (808) 887-3080
Media Release
On Friday, November 1, 2019, the Hawaiʻi Island Security and Safety Professionals Association (HISSPA) recognized Officer Joshua Pa as their HISSPA Officer of the Quarter for Q4 2019.
Officer Pa is currently assigned to the South Kohala Patrol Division and he was selected as the Officer of the Quarter in recognition of his vigilance, initiative, and dedication to duty.
In response to numerous burglaries occurring in the South Kohala District and after obtaining information from lead investigators, Officer Pa took it upon himself to track down and locate a vehicle captured on surveillance videos in the area of several of the burglaries. While patrolling on Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway during the early morning hours, Officer Pa observed a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. He noted that the vehicle’s description matched the vehicle which had been captured on previous surveillance videos. Officer Pa also noted the vehicle was being operated with no illuminated tail lights. Officer Pa conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and observed the driver to match the description of one of the burglary suspects. The driver was found to be unlicensed and he was arrested for no operator’s license and no motor vehicle insurance.
Paying close attention to the suspect and the contents within the vehicle, Officer Pa observed a small ziploc baggy containing a substance that he believed to be methamphetamine based on his training and experience. Officer Pa recovered the vehicle and a search warrant served by the Area II Vice Section resulted in the recovery of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Additionally, numerous items of evidence linking multiple suspects to the string of burglaries were recovered from the vehicle. The continued investigation ultimately led to the arrests of seven individuals in connection with the burglaries.
Without the initiative, vigilance, and determination of Officer Pa, the investigation of the burglaries could have taken months of manpower to be solved. Officer Pa’s actions clearly demonstrates the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s core values of Integrity, Teamwork, and Community Satisfaction and he is well deserving of the recognition as the “Officer of the Quarter.”
