The eight cases involving Honolulu police officers accused of domestic violence so far this year matches 2022’s total, Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan has disclosed.

Logan told the Honolulu Police Commission that four HPD officers have been arrested just this month for allegedly abusing a family or household member. A fifth HPD officer was arrested earlier this year but was not charged.

“I want to talk about domestic violence involving HPD employees,” Logan said at Wednesday’s commission meeting. “As we all know, October is the national Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the theme for 2023 is ‘Everyone Knows Someone.’ And that’s a very sobering reminder for all of us … that there are a great number of domestic violence survivors and incidents that happen every year.

“Unfortunately, the Honolulu Police Department (is) not immune to … this epidemic of society,” said Logan. “These are allegations. All officers are … presumed innocent until proven guilty, but I would say over the last two weeks there have been several allegations. We take all allegations very seriously.”

HPD would confirm the names of only two of the four officers arrested this month for allegedly assaulting family members or people who live with them.

“There was a downward trend from 2019, but we are at the same number we were at (for all of) last year,” said Logan told commissioners.

“Is four unusual in a month? Absolutely. Anything more than zero is too many,” he said. The eight domestic violence cases involve five different officers this year, HPD spokesperson Michelle Yu told the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser in a statement.

The five officers represent less than 1% of the more than 1,800 sworn officers employed by HPD.

“The four officers who were arrested this month have had their police powers removed; three were charged, and the fourth case is pending review by prosecutors. The fifth officer was arrested earlier this year; his case was conferred and declined by prosecutors,” said Yu.

“Officer Eli Andrin and Sgt. Gabriel Kira were placed on restricted duty, and their police powers were removed,” said Sarah Yoro, an HPD spokesperson. “They have four and 15 years of service, respectively.”

Andrin is charged with one Class C felony and three misdemeanors in connection with alleged abuse of a woman he lived with, according to state court records.

From June 1 to 30, Andrin is charged with physically abusing the woman by “intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury by impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure on the throat or neck” of the woman “with any part of the body or a ligature.”

Andrin’s three misdemeanor abuse allegations stem from incidents with the woman between July 1 to 31 and on Aug. 14.

Kira has not been charged.

In 2022 there were also eight cases involving five officers. Prosecutors reviewed all eight cases, and one case was accepted for prosecution.

Police Commission Chair Doug Chin, a former state attorney general and deputy city prosecutor, told the Star-Advertiser that Logan’s announcement to the commissioners of “four arrests of HPD officers in one month during Domestic Violence Awareness Month certainly caused some raised eyebrows.”

“At the same time, commissioners in the meeting also acknowledged the chief’s commitment to transparency from the department,” Chin said. “The police commission fully expects Chief Logan and his leadership to hold individual officers who commit domestic violence fully accountable, whether administratively or in our courts. Nothing should be swept under the rug.”

Logan noted that the department has a Peer Support Unit that is “a voluntary and confidential resource for all departmental employees and their families,” according to HPD. The unit supports and helps officers with personal and work-related problems and is available in the aftermath of critical incidents.

HPD also uses the “Ethical Policing Is Courageous” training modules to drill officers to recognize the signs that colleagues need help. Officers learn to be courageous about intervening, Logan said. The department’s chaplain and human services unit provide counseling, including marriage and couples counseling to officers.

“We encourage the reports for supervisors to stay abreast (of their officers’ wellness) and to have the day-to-day knowledge of their officers … how they are feeling, how they are operating,” he said.

During the meeting, Chin told Logan that the commission expects him and his leadership team to hold officers accused of domestic violence accountable either through the administrative process or criminal proceedings. “We certainly want to make sure that that kind of behavior is addressed,” Chin said.

Chin told the Star-­Advertiser that Logan’s strategic plan contains a “specific commitment to identify measures to decrease employee misconduct.”

The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers told the Star-Advertiser that domestic violence “can never be tolerated.”

“It is important to remember that at this point these are allegations, and just like every other private citizen, each officer has a right to due process,” Stephen Keogh, SHOPO’s vice president, said. “We fully expect the Honolulu Police Department to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into these allegations. SHOPO firmly supports a fair process that holds our officers to the high standards expected of them by our fellow officers and the community we serve.”