Although the violent crime rate in Maui County rose 9.8% between 2011 and 2012, its rate of property crimes was the lowest since the state started keeping records in 1975. Of the 34,341 offenses reported in Maui County in 2012, 59.3% of them took place in the Wailuku District. Lahaina District had the second highest percentage of offenses, while the Hana District had the lowest.
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The violent crime rate in Maui County in 2012 consisted of 411 offenses that included:
- 247 aggravated assaults
- 115 robberies
- 44 forcible rapes
- 5 murders
Detectives with the Maui Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division investigate all criminal matters referred to the 25 detectives that serve in this Division. They had a particularly high success rate in recovering stolen goods and were able to recover more than 68% of vehicles stolen in the county in 2012.
Becoming a Detective with the Maui PD Criminal Investigation Division
Aspiring detectives in Maui must first join the department as police officers and serve on patrol duty. Selected officers are then promoted to become detectives after a number of years of dedicated service.
Applications for jobs in Maui County are only accepted during the announced recruiting period. When police officer positions are listed as “continuous,” applicants should apply as soon as possible. This type of recruitment can close at any time.
Meeting Requirements – Joining the Maui Police Department requires a high school diploma, but many applicants choose to obtain a college degree in such fields as law enforcement or criminal justice to increase their chances of making it through the selection process.
The department requires distance vision of 20/20 binocular without correction. Applicants who correct their vision must have 20/20 binocular vision after correction. Those who wear soft contact lenses must have at least 20/200 binocular vision before correction. They must provide certification that they have worn these lenses for at least a year. Those who wear glasses or hard contact lenses must have at least 20/40 binocular vision before correction.
Additional requirements include:
- Being at least 20 years old at the application time
- Being eligible to work in the United States
- Having a valid driver’s license that is equivalent to a Hawaii Type 3 license
- Applicants must provide a copy of this with their application
Selection Process – Along with taking part in a series of exams, applicants must fill out a Personal History Questionnaire to help the department evaluate their background and character.
Human Resources Department will notify qualified applicants of the date and time of the written examination that they must take. They must pass this step to continue with the selection process.
The Maui Police Department instituted this test in 2012. Applicants must meet the following standards:
- Running 1.5 miles in 16:55 or less
- Running 300 meters in 75 seconds or less
- Jumping vertically at least 14”
- Doing 25 full sit-ups in 1 minute or less
- Doing 19 push-ups in 1 minute or less
Those who pass the physical agility exam advance to be interviewed. In 2012, 128 applicants passed this exam.
Additional steps after the offer of conditional employment include:
- Psychological test
- Drug screening test
- Polygraph test:
- Test interview before the test
- Polygraph test
- Interview after the test
The department will choose questions for the polygraph test from the following areas:
- Application
- Honesty
- Involvement with illegal drugs
- Oral interview
- Personal history questionnaire
- Undetected criminal behavior
Criminal Investigations Sections Within the Maui Police Department
The Investigative Services Bureau of the Maui Police Department is responsible for criminal investigations in Maui County. Members of its Criminal Investigative Team are responsible for detecting and apprehending criminals. It cleared 62% of its Part I offenses (major violent and property crimes) and 82% of its Part II offenses. Its divisions include the following:
- Crime Stoppers program
- Polygraph Examiner
- Sex Assault Unit
Additional divisions of the Investigative Services Bureau are shown below:
- Vice Division
- Asset Forfeiture Sergeant
- Canine Unit
- Clandestine Lab Team (part-time)
- Gambling Morals Section
- Narcotics Section
- Technical Surveillance Team (part-time)
- Juvenile Section
- Domestic Violence Unit
- Juvenile Counseling Program
- Operations Unit
- Special Response Team
- Negotiating Team
- Tactical Team