(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi Police Department and the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo are paving the way for officers advance their careers through education. 

On Saturday, UH Hilo and the Hawaiʻi Police Department announced the landmark partnership at a media event held at the Hilo campus. The agreement that will make it easier for law enforcement officers across the state to further their education and earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice. 

From a UH Hilo news release:

Launching this fall, the Bachelor of Administration of Justice Cohort Program creates a streamlined and supportive pathway for officers to complete their degree from UH Hilo’s College of Arts and Sciences. Courses will be offered online, allowing officers to continue serving their communities full-time while pursuing their higher education degrees alongside a dedicated cohort of peers.

“It’s the first of what I hope will be many workforce partnerships here on Hawaiʻi Island with the county and various sectors of our economy,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin, who met with students during orientation this morning. “We know that you’re ready, and we’re going to give you at UH Hilo all the support you need to be successful students and then soon graduates of this program.”

Photo courtesy University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Acting Hawaiʻi Police Chief Reed Mahuna is excited to see the program and partnership grow. “Our officers, the more well-rounded they are, the more professionally developed they are, the more that they’ve experienced things outside of the department — the better their service to the community.” 

The inaugural cohort already includes 10 students from the Hawaiʻi County Police Department, Honolulu Police Department, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DLNR DOCARE). The program is open statewide, and there is still room for more students to join. The deadline for students to apply for Fall 2025 is August 15, and applications for highly motivated students who would like to join the cohort in Spring 2026 are due December 1. 

“When the university state system can come together with the county police officers to bridge a gap in higher education, that’s incredible — because for every police officer who gets a degree in higher education — that improves their quality of life, their self esteem, and that has ripple effects to their family and ultimately, the community,” said Kimo Alameda, Hawaiʻi County Mayor. 

The Administration of Justice program at UH Hilo is unique — it is the only standalone bachelor’s degree in AJ in the entire UH system. Program Chair Katherine Young, PhD, believes the collaboration empowers officers to build upon their knowledge and skills and further excel in their existing roles. “We really want to be there for our law enforcement partners to develop workforce readiness, and we see that as beneficial, not just to our law enforcement partners, but to our AJ students and our communities. That educational enrichment is beneficial to everyone involved.” 

For many students, the motivation to enroll is inspired by their desire to give back to the communities they love with a better understanding of current laws and the judicial system. HPD officer Ryan Barrett explained, “As a patrol officer right now, sometimes there are questions of, ‘What’s the best way to do this? Or, you know, what does case law say? How can I go about this in the best approach?’ And I think using these next couple of years to get a degree in Administration of Justice will help me better equip myself to better help the community.” 

This partnership marks a significant step forward in strengthening the relationship between our local university and law enforcement. UH Hilo leaders say this is just the beginning. “UH Hilo is not only a university for Hawaiʻi Island, it is the University of Hawaiʻi Island. And so to have these kinds of community partnerships is demonstrating to our broader community that you created us, and we are here to serve you, and that can take all kinds of different forms as we move forward,” Chancellor Irwin said.