HPD officers, citizens honored for outstanding service

HONOLULU (KHON2) — On Tuesday, May 16, some Honolulu police officers were honored for their outstanding service.

Among them was Officer Jarret Atkins who won the 2023 Police Officer of the Year.

Atkins is a nine-year veteran of the force who is assigned to the Windward side of Oʻahu.

Since 2017, he’s been part of the community policing team.

In 2023, Officer Atkins made 90 arrests. This included a fireworks seizure of more than 200 aerial devices.

Corporal Corbin Matsumoto is a 10-year veteran who is assigned to the Traffic Division’s Vehicular Homicide Section (VHS) and was bestowed with the Corporal of the Year Award.

Cpl. Matsumoto responded to a motor vehicle collision in 2022 in Kahuku that tragically killed a father and mother, and seriously injured the couple’s daughter.

He presented his research to a grand jury which resulted in an indictment for manslaughter.

Cpl. Matsumoto is also a coordinator and trainer with the HPD’s Crisis Intervention Team and active volunteer with Special Olympics Hawaiʻi.

Sergeant Casey Kailihiwa, who was given the Sergeant of the Year Award, is a 23-year veteran and assigned to the District 4 Crime Reduction Unit (CRU).

He trained and mentored six officers to become thorough CR investigators in 2022 where officers become challenged to think at a higher level and look at cases from every angle. .

It is through this leadership that officers are often recruited by other units within the department. But, despite his dedication to HPD, Sgt. Kailihiwa is also dedicated to his family.

Retired Detective Michael Ogawa was given the Detective of the Year. He is a 31-year veteran of HPD and was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division’s Cold Case Unit of the Homicide Detail.

In 2022, Det. Ogawa investigated a case from 1972 that involved a woman who had been murdered in her apartment by an unknown suspect.

A resident of Nevade was identified by Det. Ogawa after he requested for DNA comparison with evidence recovered from the scene. The suspect was then arrested and extradited to Hawaiʻi.

In another case in 2021, Det. Ogawa was instrumental in solving a 1982 cold case using DNA testing technology leading to the suspect currently standing trial for murder.

Lieutenant High Shin Lin was given the Lieutenant of the Year Award. He is a 22-year veteran and assigned to District 1 (Central Honolulu).

Lt. Lin works diligently as a project manager for the Chinatown Task Force (CTF) to address complaints and illegal activity in the Chinatown and Downtown areas.

From April 1 to December 31, 2022, the CTF gave more than 7,600 warnings, issued 5,200 citations and made more than 70 arrests.

Since 2021, Lieutenant Shin has served as the district’s acting captain where he oversees daily operations and more than 180 personnel.

Reserve Officer David Barnett was given the Reserve Officer of the Year Award, His assigned to the Telecommunications Systems Section (TSS).

During 2022, according to HPD, the TSS faced big challenges like updating radio programs and automated license plate recognition (ALPR) vehicles.

Barnett also assisted in reprograming more than 5,000 radios while maintaining more than 20 ALPR vehicles.

In 2022, he accumulated more than 1,200 hours which exceeded the 240-hour requirement for reserve officers; and with more than 36 years of service, Reserve Officer Barnett is a dedicated worker who goes above and beyond to serve the department and community.

The Outstanding Citizen Award went to Pacific Woolen Company.

HPD said that for more than half a century, the Pacific Woolen Company has provided uniforms for the HPD.

The company has provided countless pants, shirts and related adornments that have been meticulously produced for thousands of officers over the years.

“Under the ownership of Michio Morikubo, the Pacific Woolen Company has supported the department in its continued efforts to serve and protect the community,” said an HPD representative.

Mr. Craig Morishige received the Civilian Employee of the Year Award. He is a 15-year veteran and assigned to the TSS as a Radio Technician III.

The TSS updated radio programs in 2022 along with its primary and alternate radio consoles. Once the upgrades were completed, Mr. Morishige worked tirelessly to ensure that all of the dispatch radios worked properly in the eight patrol districts.

Mr. Morishige spent many hours working with the radio manufacturer to troubleshoot issues and adjust settings to improve performance so officers could move forward with their work.

Mr. Morshige is also a qualified trainer who teaches new recruits about radio equipment and operations.

HPD said that Mr. Morishige goes above and beyond his duties and completes his work with dedication, commitment, and excellence.

Ms. Kristen Rothermel was given the Civilian Employee Supervisor/Manager of the Year Award. She is assigned to the Finance Division as an acting Accountant VI.

As supervisor of the Payroll Section and primary assistant to the division’s captain, Ms. Rothermel
performs difficult accounting work, evaluates accounting processes and amends forms, procedures and policies that govern accounting functions.

Ms. Rothermel is also a key member of the Overtime Digitization Program and plays an integral role in the Overtime Portal Pilot Project. She continuously tests newer versions of the OT portal, making improvements for department-wide use.

Corporal Chasity Hovey was given the Police Parent of the Year Award. She is a 10-year veteran and assigned to the Office of the Chief.

She and her husband, Kai, are the proud parents of two daughters.

Cpl. Hovey took in her two teenage nieces following the untimely passing of her sister and has raised them as her own.

With everything from sports and tutoring to recreational activities, Cpl. Hovey plays an active role in the lives of her girls.

When she’s not spending time with her loved ones, HPD said that Cpl. Hovey volunteers with Kailua High School’s Athletics Department to raise thousands of dollars for youth sports.

The distinguished Award of being inducted in HPD’s Hall of Fame went to Roger Izumigawa. He has been retired from HPD since 1994 after 32 years of service.

Although he worked in various divisions and patrol districts, Major Izumigawa spent the majority of his career in the Communications Division due to his expertise in the area.

It was under his leadership that HPD developed its first island-wide public safety radio communications infrastructure system, computer aided dispatch and enhanced 911.

“Major Izumigawa’s foresight, combined with technological development, has forever changed the way the department operates,” said an HPD representative.

His work increased the efficiency of HPD and allowed for quicker response times and improved the safety of the officers and community.