Hawaii
Hawaii Lawmakers Set Ambitious Goal For Increasing The Number Of Women Cops
Police departments in Hawaii are being asked to significantly boost the number of women in their ranks with the recent passage of House Bill 2231, which aims to increase diversity among law enforcement agencies in the state.
The bill, which awaits the governor’s signature, sets a goal of having 30% of law enforcement staff be women or people who identify as nonbinary by 2030. The measure also calls for departments to recruit officers from diverse backgrounds. About 13% of sworn personnel in the Honolulu Police Department were women in 2023, on par with the national average.
Improving the diversity of law enforcement agencies nationwide is vital for fostering trust between those agencies and the public, legislators acknowledged in the bill, referencing key findings in the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing that shows the need for greater representation of women and minorities in law enforcement roles across the country.
Persistent barriers remain between women and jobs in law enforcement, though, including entrenched departmental cultures favoring men and policies that hinder the balance between policing careers and family responsibilities, according to a 2019 National Institute of Justice report.
“I’m glad they are pushing to bring in more female officers,” said Erica Paredes, a deputy sheriff at the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement. “It will be a great opportunity for us to show we belong as well.”
Paredes said her department employs fewer than 20 women out of 400 people on staff. She knows of only one other woman working in her entire building.
“You have these masculine guys,” Paredes said, “and then you have females that remind people of aunty or mom. So it’s a different thing we bring to the table.”
Besides a written test, Paredes said she had to pass a physical agility test that included running 1.5 miles in less than 18 minutes, alongside minimums for push-ups and sit-ups. There also were psychological exams, voice analysis assessments and tests on legal knowledge. Paredes recalled it took her a year to complete the process, including six months spent at the police academy.
Paredes, who has three children, said the transition into law enforcement was difficult in the beginning, as she had to rebalance her life.
“You have the role of being there as a mom and kind of having to be there for your kids when it comes time for school work or bedtime,” Paredes said, “and sometimes, you’re not able to be there.”
Multiple agencies, including the Honolulu Police Department and the State of Hawaii Organization Of Police Officers, submitted testimony in support of the bill.
The Policing Project at NYU School of Law, while applauding the ambition of having 30% female officers in every law enforcement agency in the state by 2030, pointed out that it might be unrealistic due to the staff retirement and turnover required to make that happen. The organization recommended in testimony that Hawaii set a more achievable target of having 30% women in recruit classes by 2030.
The Policing Project is one of the organizations behind the national 30×30 Initiative, an effort to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030. The project also focuses on ensuring that department policies and culture actively support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers.
Tanya Meisenholder, director of gender equity at the Policing Project, says the initiative has seen results.
“Madison, Wisconsin, for instance, just got over 30% for recruiting women and we’ve also seen a number of agencies put policies in place around pregnancy and maternal leave,” Meisenholder said. “Hawaii could potentially see these impacts in the long run.”
Sen. Karl Rhoads, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the bill is a first step in the right direction.
“It’s important to have diversity in any profession, people from various backgrounds and educational perspectives,” Rhoads said, “especially in law enforcement.”
Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed.
Hawaii
Healthier Hawaii: How to protect your hearing; head and neck warning signs you shouldn’t ignore
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – You may have received new earbuds or headphones during the holidays. But there are a few things you keep in mind when it comes to protecting your hearing.
Dr. Ross Shockley, an otolaryngologist with Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, offers the following tips for hearing, as well as head and neck health.
Head and neck cancers
Many people are not familiar with head or neck cancers. What causes it and when should someone see a doctor?
- Traditionally, head and neck cancers were mostly associated with longtime smokers and drinkers. Now, more cases are tied to human papillomavirus (HPV), even in nonsmokers and drinkers. HPV is the same virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women. It is common and can have no symptoms.
- If you have throat pain, pain when swallowing that doesn’t go away, or a mass in your neck that feels firm and isn’t moving, don’t wait. See your doctor.
- Head and neck cancers can be treated, no matter the cause, if caught early.
How to prevent hearing loss
More young adults, in their early 20s, are experiencing hearing loss. Can hearing loss be reversed?
- Hearing loss can’t be reversed. Once ringing in ears starts, that can be permanent.
- Wear appropriate hearing protection when using power tools or firing weapons.
- You can find ear protection that blocks out sound for about $15. Protection that covers the whole ear are better than earplugs.
How do you know if music or movies are too loud?
- Don’t turn anything up to the maximum.
- You want the volume to be at the lowest level where you can still hear and understand.
- If there is background noise, don’t crank up the volume all the way to fight it. Use noise-cancelling headphones or go somewhere quieter.
Dangers of cleaning your ears
You may feel the urge to clean your ears. Shockley says do less, or even nothing at all.
- Our ears clean themselves. As new skin grows, it takes wax with it out of your ear.
- When you clean your ears, you’re interrupting that natural cleaning process.
- You can also put yourself at risk for external ear infections – or make your ears itch more.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii Grown: Few isle players in College Football Playoff final four | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.
Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.
Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.
She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.
She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
East Cleveland City Schools celebrate ‘We are EC Day’ marking end of state oversight
Austin airport one step closer to major expansion that will add 32 new gates
Former Alabama OL starter transferring to SEC rival
National Native helpline for domestic violence and sexual assault to open Alaska-specific service
Arizona HS football’s No. 1 2027 prospect has ASU, Miami high on list
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
San Diego sues to stop border barrier construction
How Ukraine is shaping Europe’s response to Trump’s Greenland threats
GOP gearing up to face tough midterms. And, Pentagon reviews women in ground combat
Wyoming Supreme Court rules laws restricting abortion violate state constitution
How strong are Latin America’s military forces, as they face US threats?
-
World1 week agoHamas builds new terror regime in Gaza, recruiting teens amid problematic election
-
News1 week agoFor those who help the poor, 2025 goes down as a year of chaos
-
Science1 week agoWe Asked for Environmental Fixes in Your State. You Sent In Thousands.
-
Business1 week agoA tale of two Ralphs — Lauren and the supermarket — shows the reality of a K-shaped economy
-
Detroit, MI4 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Politics1 week agoCommentary: America tried something new in 2025. It’s not going well
-
Politics1 week agoMarjorie Taylor Greene criticizes Trump’s meetings with Zelenskyy, Netanyahu: ‘Can we just do America?’
-
Health1 week agoRecord-breaking flu numbers reported in New York state, sparking warnings from officials