Captain Rio Amon-Wilkins, was honored with the Haweo award during a ceremony held at Hawai‘i County Council chambers in Hilo last week. The award was presented by the Council’s Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee, which recognizes county police and fire department personnel who go above and beyond the call of duty. Captain Amon-Wilkins, a 23 year veteran with the force, is Commander of the Area I Criminal Investigation Division, which is comprised of the Juvenile Aid Section, Vice Section, Criminal Investigation Section, and Crime Lab, totaling 35 employees. He does double duty as the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Section (CIS), charged with investigating the most heinous of crimes, ranging from sexual assault to murder, as well as leading the entire Division. He previously served as the Lieutenant of CIS and Juvenile Aid Section respectively, before being promoted to Captain. On June 29, 2022, Captain Amon-Wilkins was notified of a reported homicide in a lower Puna. Despite the incident being more than 20 miles from his office, he and his team were on scene within 30 minutes and took charge of the investigation, assigning personnel to interviews and evidence recovery. While there, a male party provided information that led to the successful apprehension of a suspect, and Captain Amon-Wilkins directly assisted in the arrest. Amon-Wilkins has earned the respect of other captains within the department for his quick responsiveness, integrity, professionalism, compassion, teamwork, and community satisfaction.
HPD Photo