ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Now let's all enjoy a dog showing a cat how to take a bath..."}]

Smile 3 31 26

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 31, 2026</title>

Now let's all enjoy a dog showing a cat how to take a bath...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Now let&#039;s all enjoy a dog showing a cat how to take a bath...  

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — Laura Beeman loved her job, so much so that she decided it was better to walk away before she grew to resent it. 

On Monday, Beeman retired from her post as her post as the University of Hawaiʻi women's basketball team's head coach after 14 seasons. Beeman, who took over the program in 2012, went 244-180 during her time at the helm. She put out a consistent winning product, guiding the Rainbow Wahine to three NCAA Tournaments and four Big West Conference regular season titles. Additionally, the 'Bows played in four WNITs and two WBITs under Beeman.

The Rainbow Wahine most recently took the floor on March 14, losing to UC San Diego 60-48 in the Big West Championship game. Following the season, Beeman consulted with her parents, her wife, Carla, and other confidants in evaluating her desire to keep coaching in the changing college landscape, where name, image and likeness (NIL) payments dominate the conversation surrounding players. 

 checked in with Beeman last Friday, she knew it was time to have a difficult conversation. Beeman, Elliott and the rest of the athletic department took the weekend to plan for Monday's surprise announcement. 

"Honestly, it was Friday when Matt was like, 'Okay, how are you feeling? What are you thinking?' And I was like, 'Matt, I think this is it,'" Beeman told Aloha State Daily following her retirement press conference at UH-Mānoa's Gym II. "I don't know if I want to do this anymore. The landscape has changed so much. This is not what I signed up for. I still love coaching. I want to leave it when I love it, leave it when I'm still good at it. 

"I think all the stars aligned. There were a lot of moving pieces that I was like, ʻokay, this is the universe's way of telling me that would be as good a time as any,ʻ and I'm leaving the cupboards very full and this program in a really great position for the next head coach to walk in and hopefully be incredibly successful."

Following her senior year of collegiate basketball at Cal State San Bernardino, Beeman initially did not intend to enter the coaching profession until getting a call and offer from the University of Redlands about a graduate manager vacancy in 1992. Her coaching career was off and running from there. Beeman then joined Mt. San Antonio College in California, where she was the head coach for 15 years, followed by assistant coaching stints with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and USC. 

At Hawai‘i, Beeman revived a program that previously hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament in 1998. She consistently won players, coaches, supporters and others close to the program over with her genuine style of coaching and interacting with people. Her ultimate goal was to help young women grow, a responsibility she took deep pride in. 

"All of them have absolutely touched my life in an amazing way, and I know right now sitting and I'll have time to reflect, but I definitely can't quantify it," Beeman said. "I just know the quality of young woman that I've been able to coach over 30 years has shaped who I am in a magnitude I never thought possible."

Beeman, 57, received her flowers from UH far before Monday's announcement. While she was still the coach, the school organized three consecutive 

 contests in her honor. The Rainbow Wahine went 3-0 in such contests. 

Monday's 3 p.m. press conference was preceded by a 2 p.m. team meeting. It's there that Beeman broke the news to her team. 

"I knew (telling the team) was going to be hard. Met with the girls and just told them to trust our process, that they trusted it, and they believe that something magical was going to happen in the season, and to trust that Matt and the athletic department are going to find the best next coach," Beeman said. "It could be an external candidate, could be an internal candidate, and to trust that process, to trust that the work that they have laid does not have to go away, and that the core group can still do magical things and right now where they're hurting a little bit, to not lose sight of why they did what they did and how they did it, to give it until the new coach is announced, and to make a decision based on that, that I'm still going to be around. 

"I don't know what capacity, but I'm not leaving Hawai‘i. I'm still going to be around soon. I can buy them lunches legally and spend time with them in a different way, continue to be a part of that mental health that I felt was so vital to their success, and just do it in a different way. A lot of tears, but more love. So, as hard as it was, I do believe that they will leave that meaning understanding that trusting the process is something that they will take with them throughout their life, and it will benefit them in their relationships and their jobs. I trust that group of young women to do what is right."

With the NCAA transfer portal set to open on April 6 for women's basketball players, Elliott acknowledged that there is urgency to make the new hire in expeditious fashion. At the same time, a national search will ensue to ensure the program has the best possible coach. 

"I feel extreme urgency from the standpoint of that's what's most important for our student-athletes," Elliott told ASD. "They've got to make a decision. I hope and expect every single one of them will want to stay here because of this place. It's not just about one person. It's about Hawai‘i. It's about playing here, representing these fans being at this school, but at the same time, they deserve to know who their head coach is going to be, and that will inform their decision. The search has started as of (Monday) afternoon, and we will now begin and hopefully get through that in the next couple of weeks to have a final answer very soon."

Beeman has accompanied Elliott to multiple House and Senate hearings pertaining to NIL, speaking on behalf of her program and their needs. Of UH-Mānoa's $5 million NIL funding request toward the Legislature last fall, Beeman was requesting $450,000 annually for her program, hypothetically stating that $800,000 could make the team dominant. She plans to continue to advocate for the team publicly during her retirement. 

"Going to those hearings was something that I thoroughly enjoyed, because I felt like a voice of experience mattered, seeing it from both sides," Beeman said. "But I do think the landscape, the grind, I think that's going to be the unintended consequence of NIL and transfer portal: a lot of coaches are going to leave because of the grind, and I don't think people looked at that part of making the decisions to have NIL. 

"I do believe in paying kids. I don't have a problem with that. There has to be a different mechanism in place to make it more sustainable."

In her immediate future, Beeman will still be around for the team during their offseason workouts. She also wants to be present when the new coach is announced. After that, she'll continue to live in Hawai‘i, where she can finally enjoy some of the things that had to take a backseat during basketball season. 

"I want to decorate Christmas trees. I want to burn a turkey," Beeman said. "I've missed 30 years of holidays away from my family, away from my continent friends, and it's just time for a different chapter for me. I have amazing parents, and they always taught me if you borrow someone's car and they give it to you with half a tank, you return it with a full tank and cleaner than you found it. And I can honestly say that this program has a full tank and it's cleaner than I found it."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Laura Beeman 033126

<title>Hawai‘i women's basketball head coach Laura Beeman announces retirement</title>

Beeman, who took over for the Rainbow Wahine in 2012, went 244-180 in 14 seasons with UH.

Hawai‘i women's basketball head coach Laura Beeman announces retirement

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are approaching the next major step in their combination — the rollout of a shared passenger service system on April 22 — but ahead of that milestone, passengers should take note of a few other changes underway now.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Tag your bag"}]

New self-service bag-tag software on kiosks in Hawaiian’s airport lobbies will enable guests to use kiosks to print and attach baggage destination tags, or bag tags, before proceeding to the bag drop areas, a recent 

. Meanwhile, the airline will shift to mobile and web check-in as the main way for guests to get their boarding passes.

“The upgrade is designed to reduce lobby wait times and congestion, making it easier for all guests to get to their departure gate, as well as reduce waste by discontinuing printed boarding passes,” the post states.

Airline spokesperson Tara Shimooka told Aloha State Daily on Friday that Hawaiian was already making the transition at its Mainland stations, with plans to start at Hawai‘i airports this week and into early April. The kiosks will be solely for printing bag tags, she says.

[{"type":"text","text":"This move aligns Hawaiian with Alaska’s check-in process."}]

“Whether you’re flying Alaska or Hawaiian, the check-in process is the same,” says Shimooka. She did, however, add that guests who may not be tech savvy or aren’t ready to make that change, can still check in with an agent to receive their boarding pass.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"One app to rule them all"}]

Starting Monday, you’ll find a single unified Alaska Hawaiian mobile app in your app store.

, the airline noted that as part of the transition to a single mobile platform, the current Alaska Airlines app will update automatically for most guests starting Monday, March 30. Meanwhile, the legacy Hawaiian Airlines app will remain available through April 21.

Anyone who’s booked on a Hawaiian Airlines flight through that date should continue to use the legacy Hawaiian mobile app for check-in and day-of travel updates, the airline says.

Shimooka told ASD that the full functionality of the single app won’t kick in for Hawaiian app users until the PSS rolls out April 22.

According to the blog, beginning on April 22, Hawaiian app users will be able to change or cancel flights directly in the app, share boarding passes and book flights with more than 30 

, including oneworld alliance members, using cash or points. There also will be Apple Pay integration.

You’ll still be able to manage existing travel, and Atmos Rewards benefits, login and passwords will remain unchanged, the post notes.

And although the single app supports both airlines, users can choose between an Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines theme.

“The unified app is a key milestone in Alaska and Hawaiian's ongoing investments to deliver a seamless guest experience across its combined global network,” the airlines said. “Today, guests benefit from shared lobby spaces, reduced lobby lines with modern bag-tag stations and a best-in-class loyalty program.

“By bringing both airlines into one app and the same passenger service system on April 22, guests will enjoy simplified trip management and self-service features across Alaska and Hawaiian airlines, and consistent performance improvements to our technology.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coming soon"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"What is a passenger service system?"}]

"It means that instead of having two separate systems where tickets are housed, [it's] all in one," Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told ASD following a pau hana hosted by Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i earlier this month, where she shared updates about the company. "So one confirmation code, any employee can help you with your ticket, it just makes the travel experience more seamless across the brands."

Spokesperson Alex Da Silva says it’s usually referred to as the central nervous system of IT for an airline, with every piece of passenger information connected to the PSS — when you book, when you’re issued your record locator, day-of travel updates, post-trip emails and even the information on the baggage tag system, on the app and loyalty information.

“That’s why we launched things in sequence and in phases,” he explained. “The Atmos Rewards program came first, the baggage tag system came next, and now we’re rolling out the app right as we get ready to join PSS, so that by the time we all join, all of the systems [are] up and running, they’re online and it allows our employees … to service every guest, whether they’re flying Hawaiian or Alaska, which we know has been sort of a frustrating limitation of the combination so far. That’s why we’re super excited to be on the same PSS, because it’s going to make lives easier for our guests, but also our employees.”

Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

There were four major integration milestones, Da Silva said: the launch of a single loyalty program, 

 from the Federal Aviation Administration; the single passenger service system; and the joint collective bargaining agreements for the airlines’ various unions.

, the same day that Alaska Airlines received its 

Earlier this year, Hawaiian Airlines and state officials announced the 

, which includes investments of more than $600 million over the next five years “to modernize airport spaces, aircraft cabins and technology for both guests and employees, expanding loyalty benefits for Hawai‘i residents and continuing our deep investment in community and sustainability statewide,” Birkett Rakow said at that time.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

CORPORATE COMMS GRAPHIC 2

<title>Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines approaching the next milestone in their combination</title>

Changes leading up to the launch of a shared passenger service system include the launch of a single app for both airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines approaching the next milestone in their combination

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Arts & Entertainment

for college to become an engineer, she had no idea she

 end up staying there and becoming an author instead.

“I kind of engineered my first books because I didn’t know how to write a book,” she told Aloha State Daily. “I read all the books that I wanted my book to be like, and I just looked for patterns and mapped it out.”

Maunakea’s first job out of college was with a transportation planning firm in Boulder, Colorado, which worked on projects in Hawaiʻi, she said, adding, they spoke to her senior year transportation engineering class.

“I basically cornered them after class and was like, ʻLook, I have no idea what transportation planning is, but I can pronounce all the street names and you can say you have a Hawaiian in your company if you hire me,ʻ” she said. “They did hire me and it was awesome. I got to go home a bunch.”

ʻi Island, Maunakea and her family moved to Oʻahu when she started seventh grade at Kamehameha Schools.

She recalled being teased “relentlessly” for her last name, but said with a laugh, “It worked out and now I’m putting it to use.”

It wasn't until later that she got into writing full-time, inspired by her then-11-year-old son’s interest in the “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” fantasy novel series.

“We live in Colorado now, and I wanted him to learn about the stories (mo

 that I learned growing up, but I couldn't find any books at all (other than textbooks). Nothing fun that would catch his attention at that [age]. So, that's why I tried writing,” she explained.

Come May 5, the author of “Lei and the Fire Goddess” and “Lei and the Invisible Island” is set to release “The Shark Prince,” a story of Nohea, an adolescent who is half-human, half-shark, navigating getting priced out of paradise, readying for a surf competition, and making friends at a new school.

“It’s kind of two separate worlds, so the Lei and the Legends series were heavily based on my childhood: I was born and lived in Volcano for my first few years and then moved to Hilo. I remember our living room glowing when Kīluea was erupting and Pele was so very prevalent … all those legends are in there. And then in ‘Lei and the Invisible Island,’ they come to O

When asked how she made the legends in her stories more friendly for young readers, she added: “I read a ton and learned how authors adapted their stories in a whole new way because coming from Hawai

i, I was terrified to misrepresent anything, overstep my bounds and offend anyone. That was the reasoning behind making my main character be from the continent and having her come home to visit for a few weeks every summer to learn her culture.”

She also earned an associate’s degree in Hawaiian Studies from Windward Community College

Maunakea said mentors Allen Gratz and Andria Wang helped the Lei series come to life, as well as support from Elizabeth Lee, senior editor, at 

“The Shark Prince” is “the brainchild of going and meeting with kids on the west side” of O

I was able to do a cover reveal of ʻLei in the Invisible Islandʻ and all the kids saw that shark on it and got so excited. … I was like, well, I need to remember that for my next book, which is where I dive deeper into the legend of 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Looking ahead"}]

Maunakea is excited about what’s next, she noted.

Lots of travel is involved with the launch of “

The Shark Prince,” now available for pre-order. Campaign note: Penguin will donate up to 500 copies to Hawai

ʻi Literacy, a local nonprofit that provides free reading and writing programs.

“I am offering free virtual visits to any school that can help get the word out about pre-orders and free in-person visits if schools purchase class sets (30 or more books). Again, all of those pre-orders get free books donated to Hawaiʻi Literacy

 This is my first time in the Pacific Northwest and in California, so I'm really excited that these stories might be starting to find their homes.

“I think it'll resonate with Native Hawaiians or people from Hawaiʻi or anybody that might want to learn about Hawaiʻi. It's for anyone,” she continued. “In New York, the kids’ feedback to me was that they didn't really know their own culture and the books inspired them to look deeper into their own family stories and where their parents are from and where their grandparents are from.”

Currently, she is working on securing funding sources to help offset travel this year to the Neighbor Islands to promote her new book. Maunakea plans to visit Oʻahu in October. Stay updated on upcoming events 

We'd love to eventually touch on legends from all the Islands, but we'll see where that goes,” she said.

In Colorado, she volunteers as a cultural advisor at a school that sends kids to Hawaiʻi and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two kids. Her first-ever book release was the non-fiction how-to “Backpacking with Children.”

Besides reading primarily middle grade books in her free time, Maunakea “likes romance as a palate cleanser.” Her favorite foods from Hawaiʻi are shave ice and “

She teased that she’s working on a Young Adult book next, set during the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Square Malia Maunakea by Kahiki Photography 16x9

<title>Native Hawaiian author Malia Maunakea to release next book</title>

The Colorado-based writer of intermediate school fiction is set to launch “The Shark Prince” on May 5. As part of the pre-order campaign, Penguin Publishing Group will donate up to 500 copies to Hawaiʻi Literacy, a local nonprofit that provides free reading and writing programs.

Native Hawaiian author Malia Maunakea to release next book

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

ICE, airports and more were on the agenda last week as U.S. lawmakers voted through dozens of bills.

[{"type":"text","text":"Highlights of last week’s U.S. congressional activities include:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Thin ICE"}]

The Senate and House fought Friday over a 

Department of Homeland Security budget bill

 attempting to resolve the ongoing congressional standoff regarding the budget for DHS. The bill would provide funding for DHS’ operations, including retroactive pay for workers — such as TSA agents — who have gone without pay during the month-long funding lapse.

What the bill might not include is any funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement: the Senate voted unanimously Friday to slash all ICE-related items from the bill.

The House, meanwhile, voted to reject the Senate version of the measure, instead proposing its own version that would include short-term funding for ICE at current levels. The House voted 213-203 in support of that version — Hawai‘i Reps. Jill Tokuda and Ed Case voted against — but Senate leadership has indicated that it will never pass the House version of the bill.

One day before, the House voted on Thursday to pass the 

Included in the measure is a $10 billion appropriation for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with a range of requirements for ICE to provide regular reports to Congress about the use of those funds.

Nonetheless, the vote on the bill was split down party lines, with all but four Democrats voting for it, and no Republicans voting against it. It ultimately passed 218-206, with Tokuda and Case in opposition, and next goes before the Senate.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Airports"}]

On Wednesday, the House voted unanimously to pass several aviation-related measures. These included:

, allowing pilots to use digital copies of certain certificates for Federal Aviation Administration checks.

, which allows civil aircraft to exceed the speed of sound over U.S. land so long as the sonic boom does not reach the ground.

 expands the membership of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, which advises the Department of Transportation.

Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act

 orders a study about whether digital documentation can help combat counterfeit parts and falsified documentation within the aviation supply chain.

 allows smaller-scale airports to use state highway standards for airfield pavements under less stringent circumstances than current laws.

allows recreational drones to operate within the FAA’s “Class E” airspace, the most common airspace designation, where recreational drones are currently prohibited.

 requires the FAA to study whether drones have negatively impacted wildfire suppression operations and whether the FAA should employ counter-drone systems to prevent drone interference during wildfire control activities.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Mixed plate"}]

 authorizes the president to block the entry of a vessel into the U.S. if it had previously passed through a port “within the territory of a Western Hemisphere country that has in effect a free trade agreement with the U.S.” where said country has nationalized or expropriated a port.

The bill is specifically a reaction to a 2023 move by the Mexican government to seize a port owned by American company Vulcan Materials after decreeing the land it was on to be part of a protected natural reserve.

The House voted 247-164 in support of the bill Friday, with Case and Tokuda in opposition. It next goes before the Senate.

Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act

 establishes a commission within the U.S. Executive Branch to make recommendations regarding immigration enforcement within Washington, D.C. The bill follows upon an 

 by President Donald Trump one year ago calling for a similar commission. It passed the House 218-206, with Case and Tokuda not among the five Democrats to vote in favor of the bill.

Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act 

expands a marine mammal rescue grant program to include grants to rescue and care for sea turtles. It passed the Senate unanimously last Monday.

Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety Act

, requires manufacturers of baby wipes and similar products to clearly and conspicuously label the products with the phrase “Do Not Flush.” It passed the Senate unanimously last Monday.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Lawmakers 16x9

<title>CONGRESS WATCH: Airports and ICE</title>

The ICE budget is still up in the air at Congress, while a slew of new airport bills passed the Senate unchallenged last week.

CONGRESS WATCH: Airports and ICE

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is set to open on Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 a.m. The store — located at 1837 Kapiʻolani Blvd. — is Chick-fil-A’s largest restaurant to date in Hawai‘i.

 will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays for dine-in, take-out, catering and third-party delivery.

To celebrate the new location, customers are encouraged to dress in cow print — ranging from cow-spotted accessories to full-on cow costumes — on opening day to receive a free entree or kids’ meal.

Breakfast offer options include the Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit, egg white grill or four-count Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis; lunch and dinner offer options include Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, spicy chicken sandwich, 8-count grilled nuggets, 8-count original nuggets or 5-count nugget kid’s meal. The free entree offer is limited to one person in cow attire per day, while supplies last (no purchase necessary).

“Opening my second Chick-fil-A fills me with excitement for what’s ahead,” states Kurt Milne, current owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Ala Moana Center. “My hope is that Chick-fil-A Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua becomes more than a restaurant, but a gathering place where neighbors connect, families celebrate and our team members can grow and serve with purpose.”

Milne will serve as the independent franchised owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua. He graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and has more than two decades of business experience on Oʻahu.

The new store is also celebrating its opening by donating $25,000 from Chick-fil-A Inc. to Feeding America. The eatery will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to local nonprofit organizations. Chick-fil-A Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua will specifically donate to Aloha Harvest.

The new location’s dining room offers seating for up to 260 customers and also features a dedicated event space for community gatherings.

Open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays

Chick fil A Kapiolani 033026

<title>Largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i to open April 2</title>

The restaurant — located at Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue — will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays for dine-in, takeout, catering and third-party delivery. Guests who show up dressed in cow print on opening day will receive a free entree or kid’s meal.

Largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i to open April 2

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

Crime & Courts

[{"type":"text","text":"Who says “Honolulu wants an anti-ICE police chief?”"}]

Well, at least one headline writer at Civil Beat. Possibly the reporter and the editors. Do read “

Honolulu Wants Next Police Chief To Be Anti-ICE, Pro-transparency

,” published there last Friday, for a close-up look at advocacy journalism.

When I give talks about media bias and media literacy, I share my four questions for detecting bias, and I'll just run through this quickly, because there’s more interesting things to say about what the next HPD chief needs to do.

Question No. 1: “Who is telling me this?” The byline is reporter Madeleine Valera, but more so it's the people she and her editors selected for interviews who make the case that Honolulu  — the whole city? really? — wants an anti-ICE police chief. Unnamed, uncounted “some Honolulu residents” get cited as the source for this desire. So does UH sociology professor Nandita Sharma. So does Gaye Chan, a reliably leftwing former UH art professor, current contemporary artist and activist; as does Liam Chinn, facilitator with the Hawai‘i Community Safety Coalition.

So "some residents," and these three people. Out of 1 million residents on O‘ahu. Pretty thin case for “Honolulu wants …”

“Whose side are they on?” Well, clearly not on the side of federal immigration enforcement, or on the side of anyone in Honolulu supporting such enforcement.

“Why am I hearing this now?” In this case, the obvious reason that the search for the next chief of police is entering its final steps soon. If one wanted to pressure the police commission to choose an anti-ICE activist for a chief, this is the time and this is the headline.

“What are they not telling me?” The article interviewed absolutely no one with an opposing point of view.

The only number cited in the article is 525. That’s the number of people who have, so far, participated in the Honolulu Police Commission’s community survey for what Honolulu residents want in a chief. As Civil Beat notes, “70% said transparency and openness were the top qualities they wanted to see in the next chief.”

No objection there. If that survey is the source for the anti-ICE sentiment, the article doesn’t say and the survey doesn’t directly ask. People could be writing it in.

, until April 1. Please do. Barely 500 people out of 1 million is not a lot of community input and the low number strikes me as very vulnerable to committed activists making sure their voice is loudest.

But enough about media bias. We have more important things to talk about. I think the next police chief’s top three priorities should be:

Should be obvious, but historically, HPD has clearance rates lower than national averages, especially for property crimes. Surprisingly, the police commission's survey didn't directly address this, and should have.

The state Attorney General’s website has a wealth of crime stats online, 

. The most recent year available is 2024, in which Honolulu saw 37,722 offenses — down nearly 7% from 2023 — of which 7,776 were cleared for an overall clearance rate of 20.6%.

nearly 44% of violent crimes and 16% of property crimes are cleared

 — meaning that a suspect was arrested, or a suspect was identified but died, or a victim declined to press charges.

What cleared means, basically, is, “We caught ’em!” Which I think is what we all really want from the police, isn’t it?

Here’s how HPD performed in 2024, ranked by clearance rate, taken straight from the AG's database. The number in parenthesis is the number of offenses reported that year. Clearances in 2024 may have been for offenses from previous years. Let’s look at murder for an example of how to read this: In 2024, there were 21 murders, and HPD cleared 57% of their murder investigations, which may have included murders from previous years.

[{"type":"text","text":"Percentages here are rounded for readability. "}]

What Honolulu likely wants, way more than it wants a political activist, is a police chief who can bring these clearance numbers up, up, up.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

I Stock 2199972571 16x9

Advocacy journalism from Civil Beat last week asserts that the whole city wants the next HPD chief of police to be a political warrior. Does it? Seems the next chief has their work cut out for them on improving the basics. Here's data on how HPD performs at clearing crimes.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 30, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 29, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

Most read

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 30, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 29, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

Most read