Governor David Ige has appointed Edmund (“Fred”) Hyun to serve as the Governor’s Special Master to assist in overseeing the State Department of Public Safety.

Ige says he has directed Hyun to conduct a top-to-bottom assessment of the Department of Public Safety and to work with Deputy Director Maria Cook to implement any needed changes to enable it to operate more effectively.   Hyun is the current chair of the Paroling Authority.  Governor Ige said the appointment is effective immediately and through the month of September.  He will continue in his position as chair of the Paroling Authority while serving as the special master.

Hyun will be assessing the operations of the administration, corrections and law enforcement divisions, including strengths and weaknesses.  He is also tasked with investigating the concerns the unions raised about the department’s COVID-19 response.  Following his assessment, he will be making recommendations to address any areas of concern and prioritize potential mitigation measures.

Gov. Ige  said “Fred has an extensive and respected professional background in both adult and youth corrections and has served as chair of the Paroling Authority for the past 4 years. I’m confident he has the experience and ability to meet this very challenging task.”