Two officers responding to a report of a vehicle break-in during the middle of the night in Kona last April led to the solving of several vehicle break ins. While searching in the dark for the suspect, who they apprehended and subsequently charged with 11 felony offenses, Officers Bradley Llanes and Chandler Nacino discovered valuables belonging to six additional victims in the area. They were able to return the stolen belongings to the victims before the respective owners even knew their cars had been burglarized.

Also in April, Officer Elijah Won was on foot patrol in Kona when he spotted an individual trying to siphon gas from vehicles on a commercial property. The suspect was apprehended and subsequently charged with four felony offenses for the collective damages and thefts, as well as possession of methamphetamine. And a routine traffic stop on the west side that same month by Officer Patrick Robinson proved anything but when it was discovered the driver of the vehicle possessed dangerous drugs and a significant sum of money.

For their quick action and resourcefulness, these four members of the Hawai‘i Police Department were honored as Officers of the Month by the Kona Crime Prevention Committee (KCPC) during a ceremony on December 18 at the Kona Police Station. Officers Bradley Llanes and Chandler Nacino were named Officers of the Month for July 2020, Officer Won for August 2020, and Officer Robinson for September 2020.  

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 normally holds a monthly luncheon to honor the officer, however, due to Covid-19 restrictions, no luncheons have been held since March.

During the past few months the Kona Crime Prevention Committee has selected winners for the months it was unable to hold a luncheon and has presented plaques to the winners during morning meetings at the Kona Police Station.

Other recent Officer of the Month winners include:

Officer Ansel Robinson for April 2020 – honored October 23, 2020.

Officer Kamuela Akana for May 2020 – honored November 16, 2020.

Officer Wyatt Nahale for June 2020 – honored November 16, 2020.

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