MADD about safety: 5 Kona officers, Waimea prosecutor honored

KAILUA-KONA — Five Kona Patrol officers and a Hawaii County deputy prosecuting attorney were the recipients of the Toyota Hawaii-MADD Hawaii Law Enforcement awards Tuesday at Umekes Fish Market Bar and Grill.

Members of the Hawaii Police Department and Hawaii County Prosecutor’s Office were honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii and Toyota Hawaii for their exemplary efforts and dedication to stop impaired driving and support victims at the annual Law Enforcement Awards.

MADD Hawaii board member and former Honolulu police officer Kurt Kendro shared personal experiences with impaired drivers before bestowing awards for outstanding service to Kona Patrol officers Dayson Taniguchi, Len Hamakado, Jason Miyashiro, Adam Hanes and Jonathan Rapoza, and Deputy Prosecutor Britt Bailey, who is based in Waimea.

Maj. Samuel Jelsma received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Hawaii Island.

A 28-year police veteran, Jelsma has made DUI enforcement a priority throughout his career and estimates that he has made more than 500 DUI arrests. In his previous position as a traffic enforcement sergeant, he established new roadblock locations across the Island that resulted in a 179 percent increase in DUI arrests.

The Kona Patrol officers recognized Tuesday are just a handful of the officers responsible for 11 impaired driving arrests during the past week in Kona, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Hawaii Police Department.

Islandwide, officers arrested 21 motorists for suspected drunken driving between April 29 and Sunday; eight were involved in a traffic accident. So far this year, officers have arrested 394 drivers, down slightly from this time in 2018 when police had arrested 398 motorists.