Marisa Yamane joined KITV4 in January 2022 as an anchor and executive producer. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, who’s spent most of her career in Hawaii. She’s a proud graduate of Iolani School and UCLA.
The police officers union SHOPO just released the results of a survey taken by its Maui chapter members.
MAUI (KITV4) -- The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) union on Tuesday released the results of a survey taken by its Maui chapter members.
SHOPO had been hearing about low morale and people thinking about leaving the Maui Police Department (MPD), and the union says the survey results confirmed those issues.
"In my 22 years in the Maui Police Department, this is the absolute worst I've ever seen the morale in our members, and it's bad," said SHOPO Maui chapter chair Nick Krau.
SHOPO said 158 people completed the survey in April, representing about 60% of the union's MPD membership, which includes officers, sergeants and lieutenants on Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
The average score for morale was a four, on a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest.
The survey also revealed that morale is the top reason why officers are considering leaving MPD.
About a third (33.95%) of those who responded to the survey said they're considering leaving MPD in the next two years.
"Everyone should be worried because this is what we have right now is a staffing crisis," Krau said.
Nick Krau (L) and Bobby Cavaco (R) of SHOPO spoke with KITV4 about the survey results
"It's as simple as this -- the community needs to really take notice with this survey and be concerned just like Nick said. If they're not, and that the police department continues to deteriorate where officers leave the department, when the community picks up the phone and calls 911 there won't be anybody to respond, in essence. And I'm not trying to be dramatic, but that may be the position that this community ends up in," said SHOPO president Bobby Cavaco.
MPD chief John Pelletier has now been on the job for six months, after moving to Hawaii from Las Vegas.
"You know, maybe it was a gamble to hire him, but even with that being said the results from this survey is really going to be up to what the chief wants to do with it. It's going to be what his decision is on how he takes the information that we obtained from his rank and file," Cavaco said.
When asked to rank their top priority for retention incentives, 55.97% said higher base pay.
"Some officers feel that you know the pay should increase, you know to adjust so it's more appropriate with the cost of living," Krau said.
According to the county's website, the monthly base salary for an MPD officer starts at $5,471, which amounts to $65,652 a year. However, overtime pay and fringe benefits like the Standard of Conduct Differential help to boost their take-home pay.
Pelletier plans to hold a press conference on Wednesday morning to speak about SHOPO's survey results and if he plans to make any changes based on the findings.
Marisa Yamane joined KITV4 in January 2022 as an anchor and executive producer. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, who’s spent most of her career in Hawaii. She’s a proud graduate of Iolani School and UCLA.
