By Suzie Ziegler
HONOLULU — On Thursday, 18 officers of the 200th recruit class graduated from the Honolulu Police Academy. Their class started at 47.
“That’s huge,” police commissioner Richard Parry told Hawaii News Now.
Police leaders are working to determine why over 60% of the class was lost.
“This attrition is much, much higher than we’ve seen in the past,” said Interim Honolulu Police Chief Rade Vanic. Vanic said many recruits left for “personal reasons.”
“That’s very broad though,” Vanic admitted. “So I’ve asked what those personal reasons are.”
It’s not clear yet if the 200th class is an anomaly. According to the report, police data shows no class in the last two years has had fewer than 29 graduates. HPD’s 199th class had 31 graduates out of 57, a 46% attrition rate, according to Hawaii News Now.
City Council Chair Tommy Waters offered help if the low numbers continue.
“If that means providing the resources that they need, whether it’s a bonus or a higher pay, it’s certainly on the table and worth discussing,” Waters told reporters.