Rifle shots rang out across the grounds of the Hilo Police Station on Monday as an honor guard performed a 21-gun salute honoring fallen 91直播 Police Department officers in a solemn commencement of 91直播 County’s 2026 Police Week.
Members of the Hilo High School Junior ROTC Program began the ceremony by carrying out flagpoles flying the U.S. and 91直播 flags and planting them on either side of a curved lava rock wall with granite center called Ka Malu Aloha, meaning “The Shelter of Aloha.” The wall stands adjacent to the station and is etched with the names of HPD officers who fell in the line of duty dating back to 1890.
In front of the memorial was a speaking podium and table covered in a “Thin Blue Line flag” tablecloth atop which sat a line of framed photographs of the fallen officers. Their portraits were draped with blue and white ribbon leis, and in front of each lay a candle to be lit by surviving family members.
The ceremony honored six police officers, one police captain and one park ranger killed in the line of duty. These include Captain T.N. Simeona (1890), Officer Michol Octobre (1916), Officer Manuel Cadinha (1918), Officer William “Red” Oili (1936), Officer Ronald “Shige” Jitchaku (1990), Officer Kenneth Keiipio (1997), Park Ranger Steve Makuakane-Jarrell (1999) and Officer Bronson Kaimana Kaliloa (2018).
Various dignitaries were in attendance, including Mayor Kimo Alameda and HPD Chief Reed Mahuna. After an invocation prayer led by Police Chaplain Renee Godoy, Alameda and Mahuna gave speeches honoring the heroes and highlighting the purpose of holding Police Week each year.
“This week is a vital opportunity for all of us to reflect on the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of our police officers and those who serve on the front lines protecting our island community,” Alameda said.
He reminded the mixed crowd of several dozen uniformed cops and ranks of civilians that HPD couldn’t do its job without encouragement and assistance from loved ones.
“We must also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the families of our officers,” he said. “Their unwavering support and sacrifice often go unnoticed, yet they play an essential role in the resilience of our police force. These families endure long hours, missed holidays and the inherent risks of the job. They are the silent heroes who provide strength and encouragement at home and face the anxiety of knowing their loved ones are serving in harm’s way. We honor and remember their sacrifices today and every day.”
The mayor then moved to formally proclaim this week as National Police Week in 91直播 County.
“This proclamation is more than a ceremonial gesture,” he said. “It’s a commitment to recognize the bravery of those who serve and to remember the fallen officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their legacy lives on in the hearts of their families, in their friends and in the communities that they protected.”
He then turned his attention to those sitting in the rows of folding chair in front of him.
“To our active police officers — I see you right there — and other officers islandwide and our first responders, thank you for your unwavering commitment to keeping our community safe,” he said. “Your bravery and selflessness embody the very essence of the aloha spirit. We stand with you not just during National Police Week, but every single day. Let us forever honor our fallen officers and the families who support them and continue striving for a safer, more united 91直播 Island.”
Then it came Mahuna’s turn to speak, who somberly noted that 111 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty last year in the U.S.
“That is 111 lives, 111 families, 111 stories of service and sacrifice,” Mahuna said. “Behind that number are people who woke up, put on their uniform, and went out with a simple purpose — to stand between danger and the community that they serve.”
He described the purpose of law enforcement service as a demonstration of traditional 91直播an values, especially “responsibility.”
“Here in 91直播, that purpose carries a deeper meaning because service is more than a profession,” he said. “It is the kuleana we carry, not only to uphold the law, but to care for our island, our communities and one another. Today’s remembrance calls us back to that purpose, to reconnect with each other, our mission, and with the deeper meaning behind the work that we do.”
Another 91直播an word prevalent in his speech was “malama,” meaning to protect, preserve, nurture or take care of.
“It is a value deeply rooted in these islands, a way of living that reminds us we are all responsible for one another,” he said. “These officers we honor today embodied malama in its truest form. … They cared for this community not just in word, but in action. They stood in harm’s way to protect others. They answered calls when others could not. They gave of themselves fully and selflessly in service to this island. Their lives were acts of malama.”
He described how police officers are required to act selflessly, often putting themselves in dangerous situations in order to help strangers.
“They cared for people they did not know,” he said. “They protected neighborhoods they may not have lived in. They preserved the safety and the well-being of a community that will never forget them. That is the legacy they leave behind.”
Another formal Police Week ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the West 91直播 Civic Center.
On Friday, there also will be tours of the Hilo Police Station from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call Officer Kaipokoka Aurello at (808) 961-3381.
Members of the public interested in attending tours at the Kealakehe Police Station this week are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Sgt. Wyattlane Nahale by calling (808) 326-4646, ext. 259, or by emailing wyattlane.nahale@hawaiipolice.gov.
Email Stefan Verbano at stefan.verbano@hawaiitribune-herald.com
