Media Release

Chief Harry S. Kubojiri has promoted eight police officers to the rank of sergeant/detective:

• Detective Robert Almeida is assigned to the Area I Criminal Investigations Section. A 22-year veteran of the Hawai’i Police Department, Almeida was most recently a school resource officer in South Hilo.
• Detective Jason Berryhill is assigned to the Area II Criminal Investigations Section. Berryhill, who joined the Police Department nearly 19 years ago, last served as a patrol officer in the South Kohala District.
• Sergeant Paul Bugado is assigned to Kona Patrol. Bugado, who has been with the department for more than 17 years, was most recently a community police officer in the South Kohala District.
• Sergeant Grad Elarionoff, a member of the Police Department for almost 12 years, is assigned to Kona Patrol. His most recent assignment was as a patrol officer in that district. He previously was a Kona vice officer.
• Detective Joel Field is assigned to the Area I Criminal Investigations Section. Field, who has been with the Police Department nearly 20 years, was a patrol officer assigned to the South Hilo District before his promotion.
• Sergeant Robert Pauole, who joined the department more than 11 years ago, is assigned to the Traffic Services Section. His last assignment was as a patrol officer assigned to South Hilo. Before that, he was a Traffic Enforcement Unit officer.
• Detective Brian Prudencio is assigned to the Area II Vice Section’s Ice Task Force. Prudencio, an 11-year veteran of the Police Department, was most recently a patrol officer in South Hilo. Before that, he was a vice officer for six years.
• Detective Grant Todd is assigned to the Area I Criminal Investigations Section. Todd, who was previously a vice officer, has been with the Police Department since the beginning of the century.

The promotions took effect Wednesday (March 16).