JOSEPH CRAVALHO / FORMER MAUI POLICE CHIEF

COURTESY OF MPD Joseph Cravalho served for more than 28 years in the Maui Police Department.

Officers respected
their leader

Friends say his kind demeanor
set the tone for the department

More obituaries

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

WAILUKU >> Joseph Cravalho was a key leader in the modernization of the Maui Police Department and was the first Valley Isle resident in recent history to be promoted to police chief from within departmental ranks.

Cravalho, who served as police chief for nearly seven years ending in 1988, died Monday at his residence in Kahului. He was 65.

"He was a great person. He was unassuming and humble," said Howard Tagomori, who served as the deputy chief under Cravalho and now is the U.S. marshal in Hawaii.

Tagomori said Cravalho was instrumental in planning for the new Wailuku Police Station on Mahalani Street and was "extremely intelligent," possessing a photographic memory.

Tagomori said while working as a detective, Cravalho once asked him to do a background check on the vehicles near a burglary and then proceeded to recall the license plate numbers.

Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips said he learned a lot from Cravalho about how to treat people.

"He had a big heart. He was nice to people. I never saw him get mad.

"He set the tone for the department. I learned a lot from his leadership."

Phillips said Cravalho and a number of other ranking officers held softball games in the mid-1970s and got to know the new recruits and their families.

"They made me feel welcome. It was nice," he said.

Cravalho selected Phillips to head the Vice Division even though other sergeants had seniority.

"He gave me my start," Phillips said.

Cravalho served more than 28 years in the Police Department and was selected as deputy chief by Chief John San Diego in 1976.

He was appointed police chief in 1981, becoming the first Maui police officer in modern history to be selected for the top post from within the department.

Before Cravalho, several Maui police chiefs had been selected after serving with the Honolulu Police Department.

Cravalho is survived by wife Germaine, two sons and three daughters.

Services will be held at St. Anthony Church tomorrow, with public viewing from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Mass starting 1 p.m. Burial will follow at Maui Memorial Park at 2 p.m.