For his excellent investigation and observation skills while conducting a narcotics arrest, Kona Crime Prevention Committee named Officer Collin Roberts as its 2024 Police Officer of the Year during a ceremony on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in Kona.
While on patrol in Kona on the night of February 22, 2024, Officer Roberts observed a woman suspected of being a narcotics distributor driving a vehicle with an expired registration.
Conducting a traffic stop on the vehicle for the expired registration, Officer Roberts contacted the female driver and her male front-seat passenger. During the traffic stop, he observed a piece of tin foil, which had a burnt yellow/brown residue on it, which the woman tried to hide, as well as a small transparent jar that contained a clear crystalline substance that the officer recognized to be methamphetamine.
While Officer Roberts placed the pair under arrest for the narcotic investigation, he located a clear zip-type baggy containing what looked to be fentanyl from the pocket of the male passenger. The bag contents later tested presumptive positive for fentanyl.
During the ensuing investigation, Area II Vice officers searched the car and recovered 5.1 grams of powdered fentanyl, 1.4 grams of methamphetamine, and three morphine pills. As the investigation progressed, police learned that the woman had received a Fed-Ex package containing 26.7 grams of powdered fentanyl. Police were able to locate and recover the Fed-Ex package.
As a result of this investigation, the female driver was charged with second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia, and no motor vehicle insurance. Her bail was set at $25,050. The male passenger was charged with third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and prohibited acts relating to drug paraphernalia.
The total amount of fentanyl recovered as a result of this investigation was enough to kill 15,900 Hawai‘i Island residents.
Officer Roberts has worked in Kona Patrol since completing his field training following his graduation from the department’s 95th recruit class in June 2022, for which he was class president.
“Officer Roberts did a remarkable job following his instincts and paying attention to small details that in the end, culminated in in taking two known drug traffickers to justice,” said Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz. “I am extremely proud of Officer Roberts and the work he did in this investigation.”
Every month the Kona Crime Prevention Committee honors a police officer in west Hawai‘i 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. All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year. Officer Roberts was named Officer of the Month for June 2024. He was also recognized as KCPC Officer of the Month in October 2023 for his extra efforts apprehending suspects while off-duty.