It’s a changing of the guards for a crime prevention nonprofit on Oahu.
After more than seven years as coordinator of CrimeStoppers Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department Sgt. Chris Kim will retire Jan. 31. HPD Sgt. Ed Ho, a 12-year veteran of the department, will take over the role.
Kim — who joined the Honolulu Police Department in 1998 and worked in various divisions before he was promoted to the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, where he was a detective — told Aloha State Daily last week that he sought the job when the previous CrimeStoppers coordinator announced their retirement and he was looking for something with more stability.
“Eventually I was selected and I just kind of took off running with it,” he said. “It’s pretty interesting because I was a police officer. I didn’t really care for the media. I didn’t care for public speaking. But I soon realized when I jumped over to the CrimeStoppers that the media is so important, as well as being able to speak in front of crowds. Since then, I’ve done hundreds of presentations to schools, businesses, various organizations.”
Kim has held the position since late 2017. He told ASD that stepping away from the role is “bittersweet.”
“I joined the police department right out of college at a young age,” Kim said. “I’ve done a lot. I’ve seen a lot — more than most people see in their lifetime. The last seven [years] being CrimeStoppers, being actively involved in the community. I’m at peace. I’m actually happy to be ending my career with HPD as the CrimeStoppers coordinator because I thoroughly enjoyed everything that I do. The bulk of it is working very closely with [the] community, educating them on how to protect themselves from being a victim of a crime.. … To me, it’s very fulfilling knowing that I’m doing my part in educating the vulnerable and teaching them how to protect themselves or preventing themselves from becoming a victim of the crime.”
Kim said he’s most proud of the work and outreach the organization has done, as well as being recognized as the CrimeStoppers USA National Coordinator of the Year in 2019.
“I’m pretty proud about that, although it wasn’t just me. I do have a good support group,” he said.
For his part, Ho said he’s “very excited and honored” to step into the role and is “ready to make an impact in preventing as well as solving crime to keep Honolulu safe and keep the aloha spirit alive within our state.”
“I realize my predecessors laid the foundation for the success of the CrimeStoppers program as they worked diligently, selflessly and tirelessly, in which I will do the same in order to carry on their legacy of greatness,” he told ASD in an email.
Ho said he took on the role because of the experiences he gained as a community policing team officer in Districts 1 and 7 — roles he said taught him the “value of community involvement/partnerships as an integral part of crime prevention.”
“I have adopted those values throughout my career and have incorporated them into my daily interactions,” he said. “In combination with my recent experiences as a detective responsible for investigating criminal cases, I know that I will be able to make a difference within our community.”
Ho told ASD that he has several goals for the organization. He wants to continue managing the “successful facets of the program and support those efforts so the program can continue to thrive;” facilitate future partnerships with new media partners and new community partnerships through networking and building community trust; establish youth mentoring programs to educate and empower young people; open communication with the CrimeStoppers board members; and “ensure that the program will evolve in response to serving the needs of our community.”
While the organization is a resource for the community, the community can also help the nonprofit through the concept of “hookui,” Ho said, which he added can translate to “participating together or joining together.”
“Participating can occur in many different forms, such as volunteering in our call center and assisting with our ‘tips line,’ and/or submitting [or] reporting information which can assist HPD and our law enforcement partners in apprehending and prosecuting criminals,” he wrote. “Volunteering to serve as a member of the CrimeStoppers Board of Directors is another great way to participate.”
Founded in 1981, CrimeStoppers Honolulu is separate from HPD but assists the police department by seeking and collecting anonymous information that can help law enforcement. The nonprofit is governed by a volunteer board of directors.
According to its website, CrimeStoppers Honolulu “encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.”
People can report information and tips via a secure phone number or server for web tips. They can remain anonymous and may be able to receive a cash reward if the provided information leads to an arrest, identification of a criminal perpetrator, recovery of stolen property or seizure of illegal items, the site states.
As of Dec. 31, 2024, Crimestoppers has helped make 3,063 arrests, clear 9,588 cases, paid $391,806 in rewards, recovered more than $4.5 million in property, seized nearly $2.23 million in drugs and recovered more than $6.86 million, according to statistics on its website.
More information can be found at honolulucrimestoppers.org.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
