The Kona Crime Prevention Committee recently named Officer Justin Gaspar its 2022 Police Officer of the Year.  Gaspar, a 12 year veteran on the force, was previously named Officer of the Month for March 2022.

On November 1, 2021, Officer Gaspar, of the Area II Vice Section, initiated a narcotic investigation that started with a vehicle interdiction that turned into a narcotic investigation. By developing and exploiting informants and cooperating defendants, working closely with his peers, internal experts, and external agencies, Officer Gasparʻs efforts enabled him to dismantle a local drug distribution organization, which was supplied by a Mexican Cartel.

In the course of his investigation, Gaspar drafted over nine search warrants, which recovered 5 pounds of Methamphetamine, over 7,000 Fentanyl pills and one kilogram of pure powdered Fentanyl, all with a street value of over $1,000,000.  The investigation identified a Big Island drug trafficking organization and stopped a large amount of narcotics from entering the island.  It also resulted in the arrest of one of the main suppliers of narcotics to Hawaii Island and cut off multiple other narcotic distributors.

Officer Gaspar is also a K9 handler, and works with narcotics canine Boyke.

Also honored at the recognition ceremony were the 2020 Officer of the Year, Wyatt Nahale, and the 2021 Officer of the Year, Elijah Won. While both of these officers did previously receive their awards, neither received proper recognition due to the pandemic.

 

 

HPD Photo