Almost one year after the Kapolei Police Station opened for business, a manpower shortage is preventing Honolulu police from opening the cellblock there. A police spokeswoman says that a staffing shortage has left the department unable to bring in 63 officers and three food service workers needed to open the cellblock. Leeward residents say that they're concerned. All the money on the new building and not enough manpower to bring the criminals to this facility.
Police say that they're trying to do just that.
There are 41 vacancies in the department, and 211 officers who are still on probationary status. Some of the officers on probation presumably will drop out or won't make it through recruit school or field training. A police spokeswoman says that HPD cannot estimate when the Kapolei cellblock will have enough staff to open. She says that it will probably open in stages since it's difficult to come up with 63 officers at once when there are shortages elsewhere. All rights reserved.