The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai’i recognized Hilo Patrol Officer Keith Nacis as “Officer of the Month” on Thursday (February 26).

At a luncheon ceremony at Coqui’s Hideaway Restaurant in Hilo, Nacis was recognized for arresting a man responsible for a burglary at a food mart in Hilo on January 28.

The officer responded to a report of an alarm and found a broken window. After viewing a security surveillance tape, Nacis determined that the suspect had broken a window with a rock, stolen a box of beer and fled the scene in a dark van. Later that night, Officer Nacis spotted a man, who was dressed like the suspect, next to a dark van. The van had a box of beer in the rear. The 23-year-old suspect was arrested and later confessed to the burglary.

In nominating Nacis for the award, Lieutenant Lucille Melemai, described him as “extremely conscientious” and said he maintains a high degree of professionalism and a positive attitude.

As “Officer of the Month” Nacis is eligible for “Officer of the Year.”

The East Hawaii “Officer of the Month” award is a project of the Aloha Exchange Club of Hilo.