A Puna district police officer was recognized as the police department’s Top Cop by the Law Enforcement/Security Coalition of Hawaii on Thursday. ADVERTISING A Puna district police officer was recognized as the police department’s Top Cop by the Law Enforcement/Security
A Puna district police officer was recognized as the police department’s Top Cop by the Law Enforcement/Security Coalition of Hawaii on Thursday.
Lloyd Ishikawa, a 29-year veteran with a near-perfect work attendance record, earned the position in part by the nomination of Capt. Samuel Jelsma of the Puna District.
Jelsma cited five exceptional cases in which Ishikawa located wanted felons and high-risk suspects.
In one, Ishikawa located a suspect wanted for his role in a string of vehicle thefts and burglaries in Hilo and Puna. The wanted man sped toward Ishikawa’s vehicle, swerving away at the last minute, and then raced down Highway 11 and drove directly toward two special duty police officers working in a construction zone. One officer fired toward the suspect, who sped away and later abandoned his car.
In that case, Jelsma said, Ishikawa’s prior observations and identification of the suspect were key in obtaining a search warrant for the mother of the suspect. That led to the man’s arrest and to charges of terroristic threatening, reckless endangering, auto theft, and assorted drug and weapons offenses.
The press release quoted Jelsma as saying, Ishikawa has the drive and energy of a new recruit.
“Throughout the years, he has developed an unmatched informant base, becoming the ‘go to guy’ for other officers and detectives seeking a suspect,” Jelsma said.
The award was presented to Jelsma on behalf of Ishikawa on Thursday at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki.
