Honolulu police lose 53
officers to retirement
this year

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Seventeen Honolulu police officers are planning to retire this month, including two cousins named Robert Silva.

Three majors, three lieutenants, five sergeants, a detective and five officers have filed for December retirements, says Maj. Glen Kajiyama of HPD's Human Resources Division.

Thirty-six officers have retired through the first 11 months of 1999.

Senior Deputy Chief William Clark and Assistant Chief James Femia are among the 36. The list also includes a captain, nine lieutenants, 15 sergeants, four detectives and five officers.

Counting the December exodus, the 53 retirements this year would represent the highest number since 1994, when 147 officers accepted early retirement incentives.

The number dropped to 11 in 1995. A total of 105 Honolulu police officers retired over the next three years.

Ranking officers -- lieutenants and above -- represent 34 percent of this year's retirees, but Chief Lee Donohue does not expect supervision to be a problem for the upcoming millennium celebration.

"It won't affect operations and we will continue to serve the public," Donohue said.

As of Oct. 31, HPD was authorized to have 2,032 uniformed officers.

Kajiyama says the actual number in uniform is 1,772 and that 199 of 289 authorized training positions are currently filled.

The retiring Silvas -- Maj. Robert L., commander of the Records and Identification Division, and Sgt. Robert D., a community-policing officer assigned to Kaneohe -- have a combined total of nearly 62 years of HPD service.

Robert L. Silva, 53, has been awarded gold and silver medals, the department's highest awards for valor. He and Corporal Teneri Maafala are the only HPD officer ever honored with both awards.

Maj. Silva will retire with 32 years and 9 months service.

His cousin, Robert D., is 49 years old and has 29 years with the department.

"We didn't know we were related until we became beat partners," Robert L. Silva said. "His father and my father are cousins.

"I went to St. Louis high school and he attended Damien."