Island History for Friday, April 22, 2011

Edwin K. Crowell (1901-1978), Kaua‘i’s first Chief of Police and the eldest son of William O. Crowell, the Deputy Sheriff of Waimea from 1900 until his death in 1935, entered the Kaua‘i Police Department as Captain of the Waimea District in 1933 and had held the positions of Deputy Sheriff and Sheriff of the County of Kaua‘i before his appointment to Chief of Police by the Kaua‘i Police Commission, effective July 1, 1943.

Sheriff — the position he’d most recently held, an elected position and long the top law enforcement post on Kaua‘i — was replaced by the position of Chief of Police with his appointment.

As Chief of Police, Crowell would therefore not stand for election, but would serve as head of the Kaua‘i Police Department at the will of the Police Commission.

All four members of the Police Commission voted in favor of Crowell’s appointment: Commission Chairman Charles A. Rice; Caleb Burns, Assistant Manager at McBryde Sugar Co.; John F. Ramsay, Manager of Kilauea Sugar Plantation, and Sinclair Robinson, Manager of Gay & Robinson Sugar Plantation.

When Crowell was appointed, Territorial Governor Ingram Macklin Stainback had not yet appointed a fifth member of the commission, but since the commission was required by law to begin functioning by July 1, Stainback had asked the four members to appoint a police chief, regardless.

The commission adopted rules and regulations for the Kaua‘i Police Department pertaining to appointments of deputies and officers selected by Chief Crowell, the setting of salaries of police officers, the establishment of a working budget, the proper training of police officers and the creation of a merit system for their promotions.

Chief Edwin K. Crowell retired in 1968.

He was survived by his wife, Keikilani, and his children William, Oliver and Alethea.