For his compassionate professionalism and assistance of others whenever the need arises, Officer Ivan Alatan, an 8-year veteran of the Hawai‘i Police Department, was recognized by the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai‘i as Officer of the Month for May 2021 during a ceremony at the Hāmākua Police Station on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Officer Alatan was lauded for his handling of a situation involving a disoriented woman in May. It was reported that the woman was wandering into commercial and residential properties and her behavior indicated that she was possibly under the influence of unknown substances. Once he determined the area where she was last seen, Officer Alatan did not hesitate to go through tall weeds, mud, and brush searching for the woman and did not give up until he found her.
Despite the woman being uncooperative and yelling at him, Officer Alatan kept a professional composure and talked to the woman in a calm voice to let her know she was safe. His actions possibly prevented her from injuring herself or becoming further disoriented in the tall brush. Officer Alatan was able to track down the womanʼs family on the mainland and determined that she had suffered a brain injury a few months earlier after arriving on the island for a visit. Officer Alatan was compassionate in assisting the family in her return to the mainland.
Every month the East Hawaii Aloha Exchange Club honors a police officer in East Hawaii as their officer of the month. Officers are nominated by their supervisors from the various police districts and a monthly winner is selected.
All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the East Hawaii Aloha Exchange Club’s Officer of the Year.