By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- • Hawaiʻi’s Department of Law Enforcement is struggling to recruit and retain deputy sheriffs because their pay lags significantly behind that of county police officers, the agency’s director told lawmakers.
- • A 27 % raise for Honolulu Police Department officers over four years widened the salary gap, with county cops earning up to about $108,000 annually compared with state deputies’ $60,000–$89,000 range.
- • The agency is operating with a roughly 27 % vacancy rate, slowing hiring and increasing reliance on overtime, officials said.
- • State Director Mike Lambert told the Legislature’s Finance Committee that the disparity prompts experienced personnel to leave for higher-paying jobs and limits proactive enforcement capacity.
- • Despite staffing challenges, the department reported progress in other areas such as illegal fireworks enforcement.
HONOLULU, HI — Hawaii’s Department of Law Enforcement is experiencing recruitment and retention challenges due to significant pay disparities between state deputy sheriffs and county police officers, department leadership told the Legislature’s Finance Committee Jan. 6, 2026.
Department Director Mike Lambert said a recent 27 % pay increase for Honolulu Police Department officers has widened the salary gap, with county police salaries projected to reach about $108,036 by 2028 while state deputies earn between approximately $60,000 and $89,000.
Lambert testified that the gap has contributed to a roughly 27 % vacancy rate in the state law enforcement workforce, slowing hiring, increasing overtime demands and prompting some experienced deputies to leave for higher-paying positions with local agencies.
The Department of Law Enforcement has statewide responsibilities including security at courts, harbors and airports, as well as investigations into narcotics, agricultural crime and incidents in correctional facilities. Lambert told lawmakers that staffing shortages are limiting proactive enforcement activities.
In his remarks, Lambert pointed to achievements in other operational areas, including a crackdown on illegal fireworks over the New Year’s holiday, and urged lawmakers to consider options to address pay parity to help reduce vacancies and sustain public safety services.