The Kona Crime Prevention Committee (KCPC) has recognized Officer Chelsey Santos as the Kona Officer of the month for May 2021. Officer Santos was nominated by Sergeant Aron Tomota for her “dedicated effort in making the Big Island streets, specifically in the District of Kona, a safer place to drive and live.”

During the month of January (2021), Officer Santos took it upon herself to increase the enforcement of operating a vehicle while under the influence, commonly known as “DUI” and “drunk driving.” She has the mentality that “no one is dying on my streets, not on my watch.” Last year, January was tied for the most fatalities in a one-month period. With the 2021 New Year starting, Officer Santos expressed her desire to not have any traffic fatalities in Kona, let alone the first one of the year, while she was working. She planned on doing whatever she could to make this happen.

During the month of January, Officer Santos had six DUI arrests. In addition, she assisted with the numerous DUI arrests that were made by her fellow officers. Officer Santos’ unwavering dedication served as motivation to the rest of her watch, which had a total of 32 DUI arrests for that month. This accounted for approximately 29% of all DUI arrests island-wide. There were zero traffic fatalities in Kona during the month of January.

Also during the month, Officer Santos investigated 8 incidents, 16 miscellaneous public complaints, 1 traffic accident, and issued 17 citations. Furthermore, she has developed a reputation amongst her peers as a willing, enthusiastic, and capable teammate. Her bubbly personality has become contagious and has translated into a strong comradery between those around her.

Officer Santos has proven to be an asset to the Hawai’i Police Department and the community that she serves. Her accomplishments are indicative of her dedication to duty, initiative, and commitment to the Hawai’i Police Department’s vision of making our community a safer place to live, visit and conduct business. She has demonstrated a high level of investigative competence and dedication and is deserving of the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s award for Officer of the Month.

All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year.