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SEVEN NEW DOCARE OFFICERS were sworn in for this island earlier this month in a ceremony on O'ahu for 25 who will serve statewide with Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.
During the ceremonies, DLNR First Deputy Ryan Kanaka‘ole, whose family is from Wai‘ōhinu and who worked on preservation of Kāwā along the Kaʻū Coast, said, “The job you have is very heavy, it’s challenging, it’s indispensable. Without a working enforcement arm our department is toothless, it is ineffective, we fail at our mission. I think I speak for everyone at DLNR, when I say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your service.”
The graduation ceremony was held at Hawai‘i Convention Center, as members of Recruit Class 24-01 were surrounded by family, friends, DOCARE leadership and academy instructors. They watched as each
new DOCARE officer was presented with a graduation certificate, followed by badge pinning.
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Officer Zane Dela Cruz will be assigned to his home island of Lana‘i, joining another recruit as the third and fourth DOCARE officers there. He had tears in his eyes when former state game warden Albert Morita, whom he calls Uncle Al, carefully pinned a DOCARE badge on his uniform. “Growing up he was our game warden,” Dela Cruz said. “He’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. He was very fair and consistent in how he performed his job.”
Dela Cruz admits in his younger days he interacted with Morita, but not always in the best manner. “But the way he conducts himself, you have to respect him. He’s a good man and I’m very proud to follow in his footsteps,” Dela Cruz added.
Prior to commissioning, guest speakers included former Lt. Governor James “Duke” Aiona, who is a retired judge and provided courtroom instruction for the academy class, as well as UH Richardson School
of Law Dean Emerita Denise Antolini.
Both Aiona and Antolini emphasized the responsibility of communities on each Hawaiian Island to support DOCARE and its mission, as well as to hold the new officers accountable.
“I think we as a community, we as supporters of them and holding them accountable need to make sure they keep doing what they do without looking at those challenges,” Aiona said. Primary among the challenges he cited is the fact that DOCARE and other law enforcement agencies don’t have all the resources they may need to effectively carry out their missions.
Antolini, who describes herself as one of DOCARE’s number-one fans, traced the history of the academy program, starting in 2017 and resulting in nearly doubling the number of officers in the field.
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“I don’t think we had any idea in August 2017 how this would far exceed our expectations, and this is the embodiment of that dream,” Antolini told the recruits.
DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla then reminded the newly commissioned conservation officers, “As a civil servant your job is to serve our fellow citizens and visitors alike. It is important you recognize that while you may have a formal chain of command of people who are your bosses, the taxpayers of the state of Hawai‘i are your bosses, too.”
Hawai‘i Island, Maui Nui, and O‘ahu will all have seven additional DOCARE officers, while Kaua‘i will have four.
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| The old Naval Air Station swimming pool recently reopened after $7.3 million in renovations and will be the site of lifeguard training, with the Pāhala pool remaining closed for its own renovations. Photo from County of Hawai'i |
Operated by the county Department of Parks & Recreation, the lifeguard program is an American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification Course, which includes deep water training. It will be held Fridays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from Jan. 10-Feb. 7.
The upcoming course at NAS follows a series of successful certification courses held in Hilo, Kona and Pāhoa last fall and is an opportunity to equip even more community members with important lifesaving skills, says a statement from County of Hawai'i.
The certification course is open to participants who will be 15 years old on or before the final scheduled session of the lifeguarding course. In addition, participants must complete two prerequisite swimming skills evaluations.
The course costs $122; payment must be made in cash in the exact amount. Payment can be made on the first day of class. Contact NAS Swimming Pool at 808-961-8697 to learn more and to register.
Information about pre-requisites can be found on the Department of Parks & Recreation Aquatics Section webpage: https://www.parks.hawaiicounty.gov/divisions/recreation/aquatics.
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To date, there were 25 fatal crashes, resulting in 28 fatalities, compared with 14 fatal crashes, resulting in 15 fatalities for the same time last year. (The year to date fatal crashes is revised deleting one fatal crash on 11/09/2024 which was inadvertently added as a multiple crash that had multiple deaths in its place.) This represents an increase of 78.6 percent for fatal crashes and 86.7 percent for fatalities.
In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is one, compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
Police promise that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.
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