Two assistant police chiefs, a retired assistant chief, a police captain and a Las Vegas narcotics officer are among the finalists to be Maui’s next police chief.

The Maui Police Commission announced the five names at a meeting Wednesday. The commission received 17 applications before a July 12 deadline. Nine came from the mainland; six from Maui County; and two from the neighbor islands.

“I’d like to thank all who applied for the position,” Chairman Frank De Rego said.

The finalists are: Everett Ferreira, a Maui police captain; Lawrence Hudson, a retired Maui assistant police chief; John Jakubczak, a Maui assistant police chief; John Peletierre, a Las Vegas police captain; and Victor Ramos, a Maui assistant police chief.

The Maui Police Commission has narrowed the finalists to be police chief. Yoohyun Jung/Civil B eat

The police commission began the search in March shortly after learning the former Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu planned to retire following an inquiry into a November hit-and-run incident and a critical annual job review from the commissioners. He officially retired May 1.

The commission was seeking applicants who had 15 years of law enforcement experience with five years in an administrative position. The commission also wanted applicants to have a four-year degree or proof of completing the FBI academy.

A sub-group of police commissioners that include De Rego, Janet Kuwahara, Michael Redeker and Emmett Rodrigues spent two days sifting through the applications before choosing the five names.

De Rego said the commission plans to hold more frequent meetings in August and September to speed the hiring process.

“We’d like to expedite the hiring of the police chief for the good of the community and for the good of the department,” De Rego said, adding that he is looking forward to public input on the candidates.

The five finalists still need to clear a few more hurdles.

The entire nine-member police commission must still take a vote to finalize the list of finalists at a meeting planned for early August. For the first time, the candidates will also be required to take a written exam, which the group headed by De Rego is writing.

He plans to include some questions sent by community members as well as Josh Wisch, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii. Wisch sent the commission several questions asking the police chief candidates their thoughts on racism in Hawaii, racial disparities in policing, independent oversight of police killings, incarceration, handling conflicts of interest and other department policies.

On Tuesday, the commissioners also gave De Rego the authority to work with the county in contracting for a psychological evaluation of the candidates.

More On The Candidates

Everett Ferreira: a Maui police captain in the Uniform Services Bureau for District 1, Wailuku. Ferreira also works as the MPD’s accreditation manager, working with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. He also has experience in the Hawaii Air National Guard.

Lawrence Hudson: a retired assistant police chief and commander of the Support Bureau Services. He was credited with securing funds for a new police station in Kihei, Maui Now reported in 2011. Hudson also served on the Maui Planning Commission but stepped down in 2019 over a permitting issue with the Paia Inn.

John Jakubczak: a Maui assistant police chief and bureau commander for the Support Services Bureau. Jakubczak was promoted in 2014 and was previously a police captain and commander of the criminal investigation division. He was also a police instructor and served in the U.S. Army.

John Pelletier: a captain with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Major Violator/ Narcotics Crimes Bureau. Pelletier has 24 years with the Las Vegas police. He was previously in the department’s problem solving unit, and graduated from the FBI academy and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Victor Ramos: an assistant police chief in Maui’s investigative services bureau. He was previously a police captain, according to his LinkedIn profile. Ramos was shortlisted for the chief’s job in 2014, when commissioners selected Faaumu.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.

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