The state of Hawai?i is considering establishing a new traffic patrol unit that would be staffed by two dozen deputy sheriffs to monitor highways on Oahu and enforce regulations pertaining to commercial vehicles. This initiative is a shift from the current model, where traffic law enforcement is primarily the responsibility of county police departments. State lawmakers are currently being asked to approve this new enforcement team to enhance traffic regulation efforts.
The Honolulu Police Department, which is responsible for issuing a significant number of traffic citations each year—approximately 400,000—has publicly opposed the proposed plan. A representative from the department declined to provide further details regarding their objections.
To fund this new traffic enforcement unit, the state Department of Law Enforcement is looking to allocate over $8.3 million in federal funding over the next two years. This budget would cover the salaries of two full-time investigators, along with necessary equipment and vehicles for the unit.
Traditionally, sheriff’s deputies in Hawai?i have limited authority concerning traffic enforcement, mostly operating in settings where they already work, like at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. However, there is now a push to expand their responsibilities, according to the director of the Department of Law Enforcement, Jordan Lowe. He explained to the Senate Ways and Means Committee that this new unit would specifically target issues such as speeding and impaired driving, while also lending support for commercial vehicle inspections. The Department of Transportation initiated this proposal, recognizing the need for enhanced traffic law enforcement.
The statistics regarding traffic fatalities underscore the urgency of the situation, with 102 deaths reported in 2024—a 10% increase from the previous year. Among those fatalities were 37 pedestrians and six bicyclists. Conversely, O?ahu has experienced a slight decrease in fatal accidents, averaging about 50 such incidents per year over the past six years. However, overall collisions surged by 35% from 2019 to 2023, with critical injury cases escalating twofold during the same timeframe.
Police reports indicated that speeding was the primary cause in 24 of the past year’s traffic deaths. Additionally, another 11 fatal incidents were linked to suspected impairment and reckless actions, including not wearing helmets and leaving the scene of accidents. In response, the Department of Transportation is committed to ongoing safety measures, such as implementing speed bumps, constructing raised crosswalks, and installing automated red-light enforcement cameras. Furthermore, an automated speed enforcement program that was approved by the Legislature is also set to launch soon.
The proposed sheriff’s traffic enforcement unit is intended to aid existing law enforcement efforts, with Lowe mentioning that HPD has expressed support for the idea, primarily due to their staffing shortages. Nonetheless, an HPD spokesperson stated that the department is against the creation of this new unit, emphasizing that Police Chief Joe Logan does not endorse having the Department of Law Enforcement conduct traffic enforcement.
In the most recent available data from O?ahu’s District Court for fiscal year 2022-23, it was noted that the total number of traffic and parking cases reached its lowest point in six years, with 357,462 cases reported—a drop of 58,000 cases compared to the previous year.
Rick Collins from the Hawai’i Alcohol Policy Alliance expressed enthusiasm for the proposed highway enforcement unit, describing it as a valuable opportunity. He noted that Hawai?i has one of the highest impaired driving death rates in the country, and the presence of sheriff’s deputies at motorist checkpoints could act as a strong deterrent against drunk driving. Collins’s organization also plans to advocate for lowering the legal limit of blood alcohol concentration for drivers in Hawai?i from 0.08% to 0.05%.
Addressing concerns about potential overlap between the new traffic enforcement unit and existing police duties, Lowe explained that the deputies would improve the situation by conducting some enforcement duties currently performed in areas of airport jurisdiction. However, Senator Donna Kim questioned the necessity of establishing a new unit, suggesting that it might lead to redundancies and an unnecessary increase in expenditure.
Lowe maintained that deputies have a concurrent statewide jurisdiction that allows them to enforce traffic laws, but Kim remained skeptical, asking whether the department would require additional state funding if federal sources became unavailable.
Requests for interviews from state Transportation Director Ed Sniffen went unanswered.
