A dozen of Hawaii’s nearly 300 state deputy sheriffs have had their law enforcement powers restricted following arrests and internal investigations into allegations of misconduct that started in 2024.

Five deputy sheriffs were arrested in 2024, four in connection with a single investigation and a fifth accused while off duty of pulling a weapon on a fisherman. That charge was dropped, and the deputy was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to full duty.

None of the four deputies arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation of inappropriate conduct involving a Black trainee have been charged since their arrests in June.

Deputy Sheriff William Gary, 46, was arrested June 27 on suspicion of harassment by the state Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Investigations ­Division. He was released pending further investigation and placed on paid administrative leave. He was assigned to the Airport Division.

On June 26, Deputy Sheriff William K. Keahi, 40, was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangering and harassment. A day earlier, on June 25, Erich R. Mitamura, 40, was booked and released pending investigation.

On June 18, Deputy Sheriff Alvin Turla, 47, was arrested on the same allegation related to the treatment of a co-worker.

In a statement to the ­Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Department of Law Enforcement said its “policy is to refrain from commenting on the status of investigations.”

Four other deputies were placed on “restriction of police authority,” or ROPA, on June 10 in connection with an incident involving a homeless woman at the state Capitol. In that case, two deputies were allegedly ordered to transport the woman away from the Capitol and dropped her off at Sandy Beach Park.

The other deputies allegedly used force to detain the woman at the Capitol but did not file use-of-force reports, per department policy.

A fifth deputy suspended in connection with that ­incident, 32-year-old Jordan J. Kagehiro, took his own life in August amid allegations from colleagues that he was being pressured by department investigators.

Department of Law Enforcement officials have said Kagehiro was both a witness and part of that investigation, but denied the allegations made in a letter from one of his fellow suspended deputies.

The Honolulu Police Department defines the restriction of police authority as “an order by the Chief of Police to an officer to cease the use of any police authority until further notice,” according to its website.

“This order may require the officer to turn in certain police equipment (including department-­issued firearms and ammunition),” according to HPD.

The ROPA policy for the Department of Law Enforcement’s Sheriff Division is in Chapter 3 of the “Law Enforcement Administration Policy and Procedures Manual” under personnel management.

It is marked “confidential” on the department’s website and went into effect Nov. 28, 2018.

Malulani Moreno, communications manager for the union representing the deputy sheriffs, the Hawaii Government Employees Association/AFSCME Local 152, told the Star-Advertiser that union officials are “not able to comment on active, ongoing investigations or grievances.”

The state Department of the Attorney General deferred comment to Department of Law Enforcement officials.