Hawai‘i County Police Department Detective Derek Morimoto of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section was honored with the Haweo Award last week.

The award recognizes county police and fire department personnel who go above and beyond the call of duty.

A 26-year veteran of the department, Detective Morimoto was recognized for his commitment to investigating unsolved homicides and pushing for the prosecution of homicide cases that have been solved and forwarded to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, but have not yet gone to court.

As the only detective in East Hawai‘i dedicated to primarily working on unsolved homicides. Some of the cases he has worked are more than 50 years old with Detective Morimoto reviewing thousands of pages of old police reports, lab reports, re-interviewing family members and witnesses, analyzing evidence, and sending evidence to be tested.

Although this is Detective Morimoto’s first Haweo award, his work has earned him several accolades including being honored as the Officer of the Month by the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai‘i in August 2010, April 2013, and May 2020. He also received the May 2020 award for his work on a death case that was initially classified as a suicide, however was re-classified as a homicide due to Detective Morimoto’s investigative efforts and resourcefulness. In 2016, he received the HSLEOA Officer of the Year award from the  Hawai‘i State Law Enforcement Officials Association for his investigative work.

HPD Photo