Should Hawaii Overhaul How It Investigates Police Shootings? … It doesn’t appear Hawaii will create an independent agency to investigate police shootings, a step states like Washington have already taken.
A volunteer board made up of former prosecutors, judges and Hawaii residents tasked with reviewing investigations of police killings was just getting started this year after spending almost all of 2020 on a hiatus.
The panel has only finished a handful of cases since getting back to work in April, but it’s already set to come to an end in July absent action from state lawmakers.
When the Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 19, it will take another look at the Hawaii Law Enforcement Officer Independent Review Board, its powers and its duties.
Hawaii is unique in the U.S. when it comes to investigating police shootings. While some cities like Chicago and Cincinnati have citizen commissions that independently review cases of police killings, few states conduct such reviews on a statewide level.
