The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaiʻi recently recognized Hawaiʻi County Police Department (HPD) Puna Patrol Officer Dallas Arce as 2025 Officer of the Year and Hawaiʻi Fire Department (HFD) Battalion Chief Ka‘aina Keawe as 2025.

Officer Arce was honored for his exemplary initiative, leadership, and notable investigative skills demonstrated throughout the year, earning the club’s Officer of the Month award three times in 2025. Battalion Chief Keawe was honored for his outstanding leadership and operational excellence.

A five-year veteran of the department, Officer Arce was first honored in March 2025 for his work on an investigation that led to an arrest of a woman charged with 39 criminal property offenses, including 31 Class “C” felonies and 8 petty misdemeanors. In September 2025, he was once again honored for his quick thinking in two separate incidents, including his response to a domestic disturbance that resulted in the arrest of a violent, intoxicated suspect and the seizure of large quantities of narcotics.

Most recently, he was honored for multiple investigations in December. In one case, he investigated a vehicle break-in in Pāhoa, identified a suspect through video surveillance review and coordinated the suspect’s arrest. Later that same month, Officer Arce led officers in locating and safely arresting a long-wanted fugitive hiding beneath a structure on Old Kalapana Road. Days afterward, he responded to a domestic disturbance involving a firearm in Kurtistown, where his calm communication and de-escalation skills helped resolve the volatile situation and safely detain the suspect.

Battalion Chief Keawe began his career with the Hawaiʻi Fire Department in 2006 and currently serves in Operations, Battalion 2, West Hawaiʻi. He has served across multiple disciplines including rescue and hazardous materials before being promoted to Fire Captain and later Battalion Chief.

Late last year, recognizing the seriousness of a downtown Hilo structure fire, he responded from the west side while off duty to relieve crews who had worked through the night, an example of the steady leadership he demonstrates every day.

Throughout his career, Chief Keawe has strengthened the department both operationally and professionally. He served during the 2018 Leilani Estates eruption, one of the most complex incidents our department has faced. He later spearheaded leadership development opportunities with nationally recognized fire service leader Frank Viscuso, helped bring forward high-rise training opportunities for our personnel, served on internal committees supporting department initiatives, and worked directly with vendors to introduce fire-resistive duty t-shirts to improve firefighter safety and practicality in the field.

 

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi County Police Department