TV REVIEW
HPD series spotlights crime fight
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
"Inside HPD," an ongoing television special tracking the pulse of the Honolulu Police Department and those who cross its path, focuses on juvenile prostitution, runaways and Internet crimes in the latest installment, airing Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on KHON Fox 2.
Advertiser library photo
Clearly, the episode is a recruitment vehicle for HPD. But it puts a face on the mission of the men and women in uniform, as well as the detectives, who work together in the ongoing fight against crime.
Chief Lee Donohue is a co-producer of the new television series, "Inside HPD."
This episode shows a worried mom seeking solace from the police after her daughter leaves home.
Officer James Mauer says runaways are not necessarily from broken homes; those who flee are often decent students, likely to be "young, bright, intelligent," who simply take a wrong turn. The interaction between a mother and investigators plays out like a "CrimeStoppers" scene.
Computer forensics have become part of investigations; youth abandoning home often unknowingly leave behind clues in their computers.
In the case under scrutiny, police confiscate the home computer as evidence ... and find the man who procured the victim.
'Inside HPD'
As Detective Chris Duque says of the Internet, there are "online predators (who exploit victims) for their own sexual needs."
Kay Hartman, who danced in strip clubs, shares her views of the sex industry. "It's all about disempowering you," she says, in retrospect.
Some episodes are dramatizations, but the real-life quality of experienced investigators gives the program its zest and candor. In tracking the 70-year history of the department, there's even a brief song, heard over archival visuals, titled "Blue Lights," composed by officer Tenari Ma'afala.
Boxing champ Brian Viloria takes center ring, saying his tainted past did not deter him from striving for excellence. "If you fail, don't give up," he advises.
Chief Lee Donohue, a co-producer of the series, says: "Our children are our future ... they can make our community a better place."
