COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
Deputy Police Chief Reed Mahuna.
The Hawaii County Police Commission has chosen interim Police Chief Reed Mahuna as its next police chief, the Mayor’s Office announced today.
The nearly 28-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department has been serving as interim police chief since September.
He has held various positions, including deputy chief, major in technical services, Area I Operations major and Area I and II Criminal Investigation Division captain, the Mayor’s office news release said.
Born and raised on Hawaii island, Mahuna is the son of retired Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna, who served as the county’s top cop from 2002 through 2008.
Reed Mahuna received a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Lindenwood University.
The commission selected him after interviewing, in person, eight finalists in open session at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona.
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“I want to thank the Police Commission members for following a diligent and thoughtful process as they selected our next Chief of Police,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a written statement. “We look forward to continue working in partnership with law enforcement and our community to build a safer, stronger Hawaii Island for everyone.”
The commission received 27 applications for the position that met the minimum qualifications. The candidates were asked to complete a questionnaire as part of the vetting process, and commission members individually scored their answers.
Of the 22 candidates who responded to the questionnaire, the commission invited 11, based on their scores, to move forward to the interview round. Eight responded by the Jan. 20 deadline and were interviewed this week.
Mahuna replaces Ben Moszkowicz in the permanent position. In June, commissioners rejected Moszkowicz’s attempt to withdraw his resignation, which he had submitted after he was prematurely and publicly selected by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi to be interim police chief for the Honolulu Police Department — an offer Blangiardi wasn’t authorized to make. Moszkowicz, a former Honolulu officer, had been Big Island chief since January 2023.