(BIVN) – Officer Jenna Kosinski-Santos has been named the 2025 Kaʻū District Officer of the Year and Top Enforcer.
Officer Kosinski-Santos is a Kaʻū resident and seven-year veteran of the police department. She has served as an officer in Kaʻū since 2021.
“Officer Kosinski-Santos is a productive officer who consistently demonstrates a proactive approach to traffic enforcement and crime suppression,” said Sergeant Darrell Clinton in a news release.
The department says the Ka‘ū Officer of the Year award is determined by a vote of all officers in the district, while the Ka‘ū Top Enforcer award is presented to the officer “who has shown the greatest initiative in enforcing traffic and criminal laws throughout the year based on statistical data.”
From the Hawaiʻi Police Department:
This is the third straight year Officer Kosinski-Santos was recognized as the district’s top enforcer. She was also named the district’s Officer of the Third Quarter 2025. In May 2022 she received the Hawaiʻi County Council Haweo award for rescuing an elderly man trapped in a vehicle. The Kona Crime Prevention Committee named her Officer of the Month in December 2020 for responding to a fatal traffic collision while off duty.
“Being able to serve the same community in which she grew up in gives her a sense of responsibility to do her utmost,” said Capt. Pernell Hanoa. “She remains focused and eager to better herself as a law enforcement officer.”
Captain Hanoa also expressed appreciation for the Kaʻū community, “We are only able to accomplish what we do because we serve and protect a district that understands our challenges and continues to support our efforts.”

by Big Island Video News11:28 am
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STORY SUMMARY
KAʻŪ, Hawaiʻi - This is the third straight year Officer Jenna Kosinski-Santos was recognized as the district’s top enforcer.