Posted on: Thursday, June 17, 2004

27-year HPD veteran appointed acting chief

Advertiser Staff

Glen R. Kajiyama, a 27-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department, will become acting police chief at the beginning of next month, officials said yesterday.

Kajiyama was offered and accepted the appointment as acting chief starting July 1, the day the retirement of Police Chief Lee Donohue becomes effective, said Ron Taketa, chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission.

The Police Commission said it hopes to have a permanent successor to Donohue chosen by the end of August, Taketa said.

Eighteen people, including four from the Mainland, applied for the job, but two did not meet the minimum requirements.

Taketa said the 16 remaining candidates will take a written test Saturday, the first step in the final evaluation process.

Kajiyama joined the department in 1977 and has served as first deputy chief since 2002, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.

Before that, Kajiyama worked as a major in the department's human resources division and was instrumental in recruiting new officers to the force in the late 1990s, after many officers had retired or moved to other jurisdictions.