Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Chief Harry S. Kubojiri
Phone: 961-2244
Hilo Exchange Club President Andy Iwashita presents an 'Officer of the Month' award to Officer Dwight Walker.
Media Release
The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaiʻi recognized Officer Dwight Walker on Thursday (August 28) as East Hawaiʻi “Officer of the Month” for August.
Walker, a Puna Patrol officer, was honored for a theft investigation that led to the arrest of a man suspected of multiple crimes.
In July, Walker responded to a report of a theft of fishing items from a garage in the Ainaloa subdivision. Early in the investigation, he canvassed businesses until he was able to identify a suspect and a vehicle description, including a license plate.
A few days later, police received a tip that the suspect’s car was near the scene of the initial theft. When Officer Walker arrived at the scene, the suspect fled into the bushes. The victim’s items were visible in his car, so Walker began the process of obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle.
Other officers conducted a lengthy search in the heavy brush and located the suspect, who was in the possession of hydrocodone pills and marijuana. He was arrested on two outstanding warrants and charged with theft and drug offenses as well as burglary for another break-in earlier that day and for an unrelated case involving a stolen car. His bail was set at $38,000.
Lieutenant Reed Mahuna credited Walker’s early work on the case with the successful outcome. “Although the apprehension of this suspect was the result of teamwork and persistence of many patrol officers, it was Officer Walker’s timely and thorough initial investigation that put the pieces together to build a solid case,” Mahuna said in nomination papers. “The defendant in this case is likely responsible for a rash of unsolved crimes occurring in the district and his arrest likewise reduced future crimes he would commit in the foreseeable future to support his drug habit.”
As “Officer of the Month,” Walker is eligible for “Officer of the Year.”
The East Hawaiʻi “Officer of the Month” award is a project of the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaiʻi.
