This is alist of law enforcement agencies located inHawaii.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, the state had 7 law enforcement agencies employing 3,234 sworn police officers, about 251 for each 100,000 residents.[1] Hawaii is unique in that it is the only state within the U.S. that does not have astate police, state patrol, or highway patrol.[2] However, theSheriff Division of theHawaii Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) serves as the de facto state police (andcapitol police) agency of Hawaii. Conversely, the DLE Sheriff Division is the only sheriff’s department in the U.S. that officially serves the entire state. Additionally, investigators of the DLE serve as statewide investigators with fullpolice powers across the state, akin to other state criminal investigatory agencies, such as theGeorgia Bureau of Investigation orColorado Bureau of Investigation.[3]
The sheriff ofKalawao County located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast of the island of Moloka'i and the smallest US county, is selected from among the 86 local residents (86 total population per the 2019 estimate of the US Census Bureau), by the Hawaii Department of Health, which administers the county. The sheriff is the sole county government employee.
^2008 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, by Brian A Reaves, US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2011
