Effectively immediately, Hawai‘i County Police Department officers are authorized to use pickup trucks with an open bed as subsidized police vehicles. Officers are authorized to use “crew cab” configurations with four full sized doors, including the following models:• 2021-2023 Ford F150 Crew Cab, short bed• 2021-2023 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab• 2019-2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 1500 Crew Cab, short bed• 2019-2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab, short bed• 2019-2023 Ram 1500 (5th Generation/non-classic) Crew Cab short bed If motorists see one of these police vehicles in their rear-view mirror with blue emergency lights illuminated, they should slow down, and pull over. Officers operating these vehicles should be in uniform. Individuals who are unsure about a police vehicle are encouraged to slow down, pull over, and call the police non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 to verify the officer’s license plate.
“Given that Hawai‘i Island encompasses vast swaths of rural—and very rugged—terrain, we anticipate our police officers will be able to serve the community better, faster, and most importantly, safer,” said Hawaiʻi County Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz in a press release. A video describing the new initiative can be seen on the department’s Youtube channel by clicking on the following link: https://youtu.be/4JUMJvnUD-0.
HPD Photo