Caldwell-Kaai, who has been a solo patrol officer for only a little more than six months, received the award during a luncheon ceremony on Wednesday, August 4, in Kailua-Kona. Every month the Kona Crime Prevention Committee honors a police officer in west Hawaii as their Officer of the Month. Officers are nominated by their supervisors from the various police districts and a winner is selected by the KCPC board of directors. KCPC holds a monthly luncheon to honor the officer. All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year.
During his short tenure, Officer Caldwell-Kaai has distinguished himself with his steadfast determination in tracking down individuals with outstanding warrants. Apprehending individuals wanted for bench warrants is vital to reducing street crime and drug activity in our island community.
He was also recognized for his efforts in locating and arresting a suspect wanted for the theft of tools in Keauhou. With minimal leads in identifying the suspect initially, Officer Caldwell-Kaai and his partner, Officer Trenton Aurello, went above and beyond to help the victim of the stolen tools. Searching the area by foot in darkness, the officers came upon two men who both had active warrants for their arrest. One of the men matched the physical description of the suspect in the tool theft, which had been captured on surveillance video. One man was charged for his warrant while the other was charged for his warrant and felony theft offenses.
Spending hours the following lead after lead, Officer Caldwell-Kaai was able to locate almost all of the victim’s stolen tools and return them to him.