Hawaii County Police Detective Jason Grouns was honored by the Big Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) with the inaugural Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year Award. 

Grouns, a 26-year department veteran, was recognized for leading the implementation of CIT training, which equips officers to respond empathetically and professionally to mental health crises. Under his leadership, over 20% of officers have been certified in CIT training. He also served as Honorary Chair of the 2025 NAMIWalks event.

The CIT program began in Hilo in November 2022 after pandemic delays, and now offers biannual trainings in East and West Hawai‘i. 

HPD Photo