Honolulu police hope a 5% across-the-board increase in pay each year through 2024 will help attract and retain officers.

The starting pay for a metropolitan police officer will be $71,656, with new recruits beginning their training at the department’s Ke Kula Makai Training Academy earning $68,934. By fiscal year 2025 the increases are expected to cost taxpayers more than $136 million.

The collective bargaining agreement was approved Wednesday by the Honolulu City Council, and must still be ratified by members of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers union.

“Police work is challenging and increasingly difficult, and we are glad to see significant raises in the new contract,” Honolulu Police Chief Arthur J. “Joe” Logan told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “We hope that the higher pay will help to retain and to attract the best officers.”

HPD has about 350 vacancies, and as of Aug. 1 the department had 1,829 sworn officers. At Moanalua High School’s Performing Arts Center on Friday, HPD welcomed its 203rd police recruit class of officers who successfully graduated from the academy.

Under the proposed contract, the first 5% pay raise is retroactive to July 1, with 5% increases every July 1 through 2024.

The previous starting salary for a rookie metropolitan police officer was $68,244 in base pay.

City Council Chair Tommy Waters told the Star-Advertiser that public safety is a core function of the city, and he has advocated for ensuring that the Honolulu Police Department has the resources it needs to keep Oahu’s streets safe.

The Council unanimously approved the contract.

“There are over 300 vacancies for HPD, and as such the goal for these raises are two-fold: (1) It is meant to grow the current pool of new recruits to invest in a long career serving the public; and (2) it’s to help retain veteran officers, eligible to retire in their early to mid 40’s, to stay on, and recruit and mentor the next generation of officers to continue to protect our local families,” said Waters.

In 2024 under the agreement, officers also will receive a one-time, lump sum bonus ranging from $1,800 to $2,000.

“If approved (by all SHOPO chapters), it is our hope that this new contract will help recruit new officers and retain experienced police officers to address our chronic under-staffing that grows more acute each month,” said SHOPO President Robert Cavaco, an HPD lieutenant. “We must be able to compete with the mainland by providing wages and benefits that allow qualified individuals to choose a career in law enforcement and be able to afford to live here. This contract is a good first step.”

City Council Budget Committee Chair Calvin Say told the Star-Advertiser that since the start of his term, he has been concerned about how collective bargaining agreements would affect the city’s coffers.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration “did a good job at budgeting funds to cover these cost items,” and Say said he will be cautious about future budgets, especially with federal recovery funds coming to an end.

“Our first responders have an especially tough and taxing job in keeping our residents safe,” said Say. “I was happy with the negotiations for SHOPO, and I hope that these increases will help bring the best and the brightest to the additional recruit classes that HPD is holding, and also hope that our HPD officers who may have been considering retiring will stay on longer as a result of the new contracts.”

In addition to base pay, officers are paid a differential for working at night and receive overtime at 1.5 times the base hourly rate. There is a meal allowance for overtime work and a subsidized vehicle allowance for qualifying officers. Police officers assigned to specific roles within the department may earn hazard pay. For example, officers receive an extra 25% of their base pay if their duties include operating a police motorcycle.

Officers also are eligible to work special-duty jobs like providing security and traffic control, earning between $50 and $85 an hour.

City Council approves pay r… by Honolulu Star-Advertiser