Longtime police union leader Tenari Maafala is retiring in April from the Honolulu Police Department after a controversial reassignment by the police chief, who the union alleges targeted him.
The State of Hawaii Police Organization of Police Officers president, who is relinquishing his union post, told The Associated Press that his retirement has nothing to do with his recent reassignment by new Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard, who was sworn in Oct. 31.
Ballard had reassigned Maafala, an HPD sergeant, on Dec. 1 to the midnight patrol watch of the Waikiki district, but he has been on vacation and never reported to his new assignment.
Maafala had been serving in the Peer Support Unit where, according to Ballard’s comments to online news outlet Civil Beat, he had abused overtime compensation.
SHOPO filed a complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, saying Ballard’s allegations were false and defamatory and that she targeted him and other union officials.
Maafala did not return a call to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser asking for comment.
While Maafala and Ballard have butted heads, he had been a staunch supporter of former Chief Louis Kealoha during his bid for the chief’s position and his tenure.
Kealoha was indicted in October on federal public corruption charges.
Maafala made national news in 2013 when he testified before a state House committee to legalize same-sex marriage that he would never enforce such a law, saying, “You would have to kill me.”
Maj. Lester Hite said Maafala is a “very strong Christian man in his convictions,” adding, “His heart was always out for the officers.”
Hite praised him for securing raises for police officers in all four counties during the last 18 years as SHOPO president.
“He’s representing the rank and file,” he said. “He got re-elected in December. … He’s never lost an election.”
“He was going to retire last year because he’s been so involved with the ministry,” Hite said. “Did he have a nice, cushy job? He’s peer support. He’s big in New Hope (church). He’s a man of God, so what better person to run peer support?”
HPD Cpl. Denny Santiago publicly criticized SHOPO’s leadership, telling the Honolulu Police Commission it failed to support him when he blew the whistle on his superiors and was retaliated against.
Correction: An earlier version of this story had the wrong rank for Cpl. Denny Santiago.
