For her diligence in conducting two investigations that resulted in suspects being held accountable for their crimes, Puna Patrol Officer Chyann Gabriel was honored with the Haweo Award during a ceremony held at Hawai‘i County Council chambers in Hilo on February 7, 2024.

The award was presented by the Council’s Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee, which recognizes county police and fire department personnel who go above and beyond the call of duty. Haweo, for which the award is named, means to glow or to be radiant. Officer Gabriel was presented with a lei and a certificate signed by each Councilmember at the ceremony.

Officer Gabriel, who has been with the department for two-and-a-half years, was recognized for her proactive police work in an October 2023 theft investigation in which several items were removed from two vehicles, as well as from the exterior of a Kurtistown residence. The items included several tools, vehicle keys, and a gas card.

Officer Gabriel conducted multiple follow-ups, recovering video surveillance and still photos of the suspect, who used the gas card at multiple locations in Puna and Hilo using several vehicles. Officer Gabriel was able to positively identify the suspect from the surveillance evidence she recovered, as well as from her prior police contact with the male suspect. 

Her highly detailed and advanced investigation included the drafting of a Parras Warrant for the suspect. Officer Gabriel then located and arrested the suspect, resulting in the man being charged with multiple property criminal offenses with a total bail of $9,500.

Earlier in 2023, Officer Gabriel conducted another in-depth investigation that lead to a charging decision of a suspect who she had arrested for multiple felony firearms offenses.

In her short tenure with Hawai‘i Police Department Officer Gabriel has established herself as a devoted officer and proactive investigator and in doing so she positively motivates her peers as well.