HILO — The Hawaii County Police Commission declined to let Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz withdraw his retirement letter Thursday and will look for a new leader after the chief retires Aug. 31.
At a special meeting in Hilo, commissioners split their vote, 4-4, on a motion to accept Moszkowicz’s June 4 emailed withdrawal of his resignation. He had resigned via email earlier that day in the wake of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s announcement that Moszkowicz was his choice to be interim police chief for the Honolulu Police Department.
Moszkowicz needed five yes votes Thursday to remain the Big Island’s top cop.
“If I could rewind the last six weeks and undo my actions, I absolutely would,” an emotional Moszkowicz told the commission a few minutes before they voted to dismiss him as the Big Island’s police chief.
Commission Chairman Rick Robinson and Vice Chairman John Bertsch voted to accept Moszkowicz’s withdrawal of his resignation. They were joined by commissioners Eileen Lacerte and Arthur Buckman.
Voting no to reject Moszkowicz’s withdrawal of his resignation were commissioners Jacob Tavares, Greg Yamada, Wendy Botelho and Lloyd Enriques. The ninth seat of the commission is vacant.
“I’m sorry, chief,” Robinson said to Moszkowicz after the vote.
The commission voted unanimously to allow Moszkowicz, whose resignation is effective Tuesday, to remain in the post until Aug. 31 so he can retire.
Moszkowicz told commissioners he has enough remaining vacation time to clear out of his office Tuesday and return Aug. 31 to turn in gear issued to him that belongs to the department.
Deputy Chief Reed Mahuna will become acting chief Wednesday and has the option of remaining in the position until the commission hires the next chief.
On June 2, Blangiardi announced Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan’s retirement and strongly recommended that the Honolulu Police Commission name Moszkowicz as the interim chief.
Moszkowicz submitted his resignation by email to Robinson two days later saying his last day on the job would be July 15. But Moszkowicz withdrew his resignation in a second email to Robinson mere hours later.
On June 18, the Honolulu commission ignored Blangiardi’s recommendation and chose Honolulu Deputy Chief Rade K. Vanic to serve as interim chief. Honolulu commissioners said they elected to follow the city charter and name the next-highest ranking officer to serve as the interim leader while the search for the city’s 13th chief is underway.
Vanic will start as Honolulu’s interim chief Wednesday and told the commission that he would apply for the permanent job.
Moszkowicz, a former major with 22 years at HPD, was one of four finalists for Honolulu’s chief when Logan was selected on May 23, 2022.
Moszkowicz told the Hawaii island commissioners Thursday, “You know, 2-1/2 years ago when I moved to the Big Island, I intended to stay here. The Big Island has become my home. My family and I love it here. Our roots continue to deepen in island culture that totally embraced us graciously.”
“I don’t hide from facts. I take responsibility for my actions,” he said as he choked up.
Moszkowicz took a sip of water before continuing. “I told myself I wasn’t going to become emotional, but that’s clearly a fail,” he said.
“I deeply reflected on my situation, on my actions and on the circumstances around them, and I failed to talk to each of you,” Moszkowicz told the commission. “I can’t undo these things. I can acknowledge them, which I’m trying to do now, and I can come to you with heartfelt regret and a renewed commitment to do better.”
After Thursday’s vote, Robinson said he wished Blangiardi had “stayed in his own sandbox over there” and not interfered with the Honolulu commission’s job of choosing the police chief.
In an interview, Blangiardi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he spoke to Moszkowicz and expressed his “concern and disappointment” with the Hawaii police commissioners’ decision.
He lauded Moszkowicz’s approach to policing and thanked him for his 25 years of service helping keep Oahu and Hawaii island safe.
“I just feel really badly that this happens to him, that his desire to help us ended up turning out this way,” Blangiardi said.
Moszkowicz told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald after the meeting that he respects the commissioners and the process, but conceded “the outcome was not what I had hoped.”
State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Robert Cavaco, an HPD lieutenant, said the union appreciates that the “commission listened to the voices of our Hawaii Chapter members who work every day to keep the residents and visitors of Hawaii safe.”
“While this was a tough situation for everyone, the commission made the best decision possible given the circumstances and did so promptly, avoiding a protracted process that would only cause more pain and delay our ability to move forward,” Cavaco told the Star-Advertiser. “Whether it’s solving the staffing challenges, addressing violent crime, or modernizing the department’s equipment and training, Hawaii PD employees, the commission, and the community have an opportunity for a fresh start at plotting the department’s future progress.”
Cavaco noted that SHOPO members with the Hawaii Police Department have decades of experience in “protecting the Big Island; we hope the commission truly engages them and uses their expertise” to select the next chief.
“Regardless of (Thursday’s) action, nothing should take away from Ben Moszkowicz’s 25 years of service to the people of Oahu and Hawaii. We respect Ben’s work as a law enforcement officer and servant of our community. We wish him well,” said Cavaco.
As for what’s next, Moszkowicz said he didn’t know, and would talk it over with family.
Source: The Garden Island
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