Members of the Kaua‘i Police Commission have named Lt. King Chi (KC) Lum as interim chief of the Kaua‘i Police Department. Lum is currently district commander of the Hanalei district, and has been with KPD for over 21 years. He
Members of the Kaua‘i Police Commission have named Lt. King Chi (KC) Lum as interim chief of the Kaua‘i Police Department.
Lum is currently district commander of the Hanalei district, and has been with KPD for over 21 years. He will assume the position of acting chief on Saturday, May 1.
Lum will replace Chief Wilfred “Willy” Ihu, who will be retiring from the department on Friday, April 30.
“Chief Ihu is a good man and will be greatly missed,” said Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste. “He has dedicated decades of service to the department and the community.”
Meanwhile, members of the Police Commission continue to interview qualified persons who applied for the position of chief of police, which Ihu had filled on an interim basis after former Chief George Freitas retired last year.
Ihu had been deputy chief under Freitas.
Eight people applied for the position, and commission members hope to name a permanent chief by July, according to Cyndi Mei Ozaki, county public information officer.
Assistant Chief Clayton Arinaga had assumed many of the administrative functions in advance of Ihu’s planned retirement.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Lum said. “Let’s see how much we can get done.”
