LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department celebrated the 82nd recruit graduation class with nine cadets and their families, including an oath and presentation of badges, at Kaua‘i Beach Resort in a ceremony Friday. Sgt. Roderick Green served as master of
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department celebrated the 82nd recruit graduation class with nine cadets and their families, including an oath and presentation of badges, at Kaua‘i Beach Resort in a ceremony Friday.
Sgt. Roderick Green served as master of ceremonies. He said the cadets underwent an arduous hiring process over two years before starting the academy last May. Over the next five months, the cadets would complete a 1,472-hour police officer recruit training program.
The officers will now enter the field training officer program for the next several months.
“These nine individuals were virtual strangers when they started on May 1,” Green said. “They are no longer strangers, but are now a very close-knit group that has grown from individuals to a team, from friends to brothers and sister.”
Officer Dustin Broad lived in Honolulu and Hilo before working in the hospitality industry on Kaua‘i. His goal is to work in the vice unit or special services team.
Officer Richard Brown is a Honolulu native who also lived in Nebraska and Utah for the Department of Corrections. His goal is to work in traffic safety or vice.
Officer Christopher Cabrera lived in Tucson and worked as a blackjack dealer and table game supervisor before seeking his lifelong goal of becoming a police officer. His goal is to work as a K9 handler.
The academy was intense, Cabrera said. It helped prepare him to think like an officer. He said this means making quick instant decisions using all available information.
Both Cabrera and his fiancé have been coming to Kaua‘i for years and have longed for an opportunity to part of this community. “When the opportunity came, I did everything I could to be part of that,” he said.
Officer Joshua Leines is a Duluth, Minn., native who was a full-time technician in electronic warfare for the Air National Guard in Iowa. After marrying a Kaua‘i native he transferred to Kaua‘i, and applied for the academy three years ago. He now
aspires to become a detective. “The academy was hard in ways that you can’t imagine,” Leines said. “They make it as realistic as possible with training that is designed for the real world.”
Officer Andrew Muraoka was born in Hawai‘i and once worked for the USDA, and has worked in the KPD cell block since 2006. He aspires to work in the traffic safety unit, as a DARE officer or a school resources officer.
Officer Lance Okasaki was born and raised on Kaua‘i and worked at the airport and as a school tutor before joining the academy. His goal is arrive home safely every day.
Officer Stacy Perreira was born and raised in Kapa‘a, and worked as a domestic violence coordinator for KPD, then in adult probation for 5th Circuit, as well as the hospitality field.
“It wasn’t a difficult transition to a police officer but it’s a lot different from what I have been doing,” Perreira said. “I’ve only really dealt with victims, and the rehabilitation side with defendants.”
Perreira wanted to become a police officer for a while but the process was faster to work in probation and a three-year process to become a police officer. She has a master’s degree in computer information technology and her goal is to become a homicide detective.
Officer Arthur Styan was born and raised on O‘ahu and is a former U.S. Marine. He worked for the KPD cell block before joining the academy, and his goal is to be a solid officer and improve the quality of life for the community.
Officer Matthew Beadle was born and raised in Michigan, and was a collision and body specialist before working in the KPD cell block. He wants to join the traffic safety unit and eventually become a detective.
“It was very challenging,” Beadle said. “Now we enter the field training officer phase that will last probably until the middle of February.”
County Council Chair Jay Furfaro said the cadets are now prepared to balance the challenges of a difficult job and all while representing the island ohana and serving the people of Kaua‘i with aloha.
“This is the challenge you have taken, to represent our finest in the community, and we honor you for diligence,” he said.
Police Commission Chair Ernest Kanekoa said the commission has confidence that the cadets’ training will help them make the right choices with professionalism and diligence.
Police Chief Darryl Perry told the cadets that it would not be easy to engage people who will “be at their maddest, their baddest and their saddest.” The cadets will be expected to provide leadership when things are chaotic and no one knows what to do, and to stand up for what is right against insurmountable odds.
Perry said the community expects them to be perfect in their work. That is unrealistic, he said, but those are the expectations of the police department.
“I can assure you that as you progress you will begin to understand your role as a leader and begin to hear the feelings un-communicated, the pains unexpressed, and the complaints not spoken,” he said. “When this happens you will be a true leader.”
Perry called on the new officers to maintain a balance in life and to use integrity in all circumstances on and off duty.
“When things get rough let the mission statement be your guiding light,” Perry said. “Never stray from its virtues and always be pono. May God watch you and protect you always.”
The recruits presented Perry with the State of Hawai‘i flag that flew during their academy session.
Deputy Chief Michael Contrades said that someone from this group may be the chief of police 25 years from now. That is the year this class will be eligible for retirement in 2037, he said.
“Life is short and your career is even shorter,” Contrades said. “When you retire and look back on your career, ask yourself was it one of honor? Did you do what is right even through it was difficult or unpopular? Were you respectful to your coworkers, supervisors and community, and most importantly, family? Did they in turn respect you?”
Contrades called on the cadets to exercise the core values of respect, integrity and professionalism to live a life and career that is pono and just.
“Today you become leaders in the community and we expect you to be represent our department well and taking honor and responsibility bestowed upon you and do your very best to protect our island,” he said.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. gave the cadets an order to “smile” as he welcomed them to the family of Kaua‘i, to serve and protect the people. He reflected on the recent tsunami warning as an example where police performed well with support and in coordination with other departments all working together.
During difficult times the county must rise above the challenges at hand and work together to reach a common goal, and it is important to know that police do not stand alone, he said.
“We are all in this together and it is only by working together that it will make a positive difference for the beautifying of Kaua’i,” Carvalho said.
The class elected Cadet Arthur Styan to be the class speaker. He referred to himself as “Recruit 8,” and said that the common theme among the many reasons for becoming a police officer was of “wanting to do good, or to make things right.”
He said the field of cadets emerged from around 50 applicants over two years. There were entrance exams, personal history forms, physicals and psychological tests, background and lie detector checks, and more background interviews.
“I don’t think that I have been this scrutinized since I met my wife’s father,” he said.
The training involved instruction on the law, report writing, defensive tactics and use of force, us of firearms, physical training that was difficult even for a Marine veteran, traffic control, driving pursuit vehicles, reality scenario training, and even learning pidgin English.
“We started out together by chance, but we finished strong together by choice,” Styan said. “We have been well-trained and completely understand our mission. We will all times strive to enhance the quality of life in our community. We will endeavor to promote the aloha spirit and be pono in our interaction with the public. Respect, integrity and professionalism are ingrained in all of us.”
Deputy County Attorney Justin Kollar said the cadets focused on how to identify law violations regarding crimes against persons, property and moving violations. They learned what to do with information and how to ask questions at the scene
“Arming them with that knowledge is critical to their success and I am really proud because this is a smart group of people,” Kollar said.
Judge Randal Valenciano, who led the swearing in of the recruits, congratulated them on behalf of the 5th Circuit Court and the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.
County Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho was also in attendance. She said the community is blessed to have such a bright and talented group of new officers.
“We look forward to working alongside these dedicated people to uphold the value of pono kaulike — equal rights and justice for all,” she said.
