Police Hosting Three Kūpuna Watch Meetings in September

The Hawaiʻi Police Department will be hosting three Kūpuna Watch meetings across the Hawai‘i Island during September.

Puna Community Policing officers will hold a Kūpuna Watch meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at HPP Community Center, 15-1570 Maku‘u Drive, Kea‘au.

Officers with the Kona Community Policing Section will hold their next monthly Kūpuna Watch meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at Sgt. Rodney J.T. Yano Memorial Hall, 82-6156 Mamalahoa Highway.

Hilo Community Police officers will be holding their Kūpuna Watch on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at Prince Kuhio Plaza (near the Social Security office), 111 Puainako Street, Hilo.

Kupuna Watch is an outreach program in partnership with the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation’s Elderly Activities Division. These free monthly meetings provide an opportunity for officers to engage with kūpuna directly during their regularly scheduled activities at various County facilities in west Hawai‘i.

During these sessions, officers discuss crime and traffic trends, the importance of reporting elder abuse, as well as ways to identify and prevent financial and internet crimes. In addition to Community Policing Officers, each monthly meeting features personnel from different areas of the police department to explain their particular areas of expertise.

The goal is to strengthen trust, promote safety, and build positive relationships through direct, face-to-face interaction. For more information on the Kona meeting, please contact Kona Community Policing Section Sergeant Wyattlane Nahale at (808) 326-4646, ext. 3259. For more information on the Puna Kupuna Watch meeting, please contact the Puna Police Station, (808) 965‑2716. For more information on the Hilo Kupuna Watch meeting, please contact Lieutenant Ryan Pagan, (808) 961-2350.