Police Chief Faaumu seeks to regain trust | News, Sports, Jobs

WAILUKU – Tivoli Faaumu, a 29-year police veteran who won support from both police officers and the community as captain of the Kihei Patrol District, was selected Friday as the new Maui County police chief.

Maui Police Commission members, reconvening Friday morning in open session in the chief’s conference room at the Wailuku Police Station, voted unanimously for Faaumu.

The 55-year-old Kihei resident was chosen from six finalists, including acting Chief Clayton Tom and Assistant Chief Victor Ramos.

“I am extremely honored and humbled for your selection, having trust in me as the chief of police for Maui County,” Faaumu said, addressing the commission members after the vote.

“You wanted change,” Faaumu said.

He said his leadership would involve “open and honest communication with staff, community members and government leaders.”

“In my humble opinion, this helps all entities to build trust, transparency,” Faaumu said.

On Friday afternoon, Faaumu said an immediate priority would be to work to restore public confidence in the department, which has faced criticism over the handling of investigations into the disappearances of Moreira “Mo” Monsalve and Carly “Charli” Scott this year. Neither woman has been found.

After Scott’s disappearance was reclassified to a homicide investigation, Scott’s ex-boyfriend Steven Capobianco was indicted on a second-degree murder charge.

“We need to regain the trust of the community, so they have more confidence in our ability to do what we need to do as a Police Department,” Faaumu said. “I know we do have a good department, and I think sometimes it’s just public misconception because we fail to provide the information to the public.

Faaumu said he also wants to see police improve service, focusing first on patrol districts to ensure ample staffing and training. “They are the front line of our department,” he said. “A lot of times the public perception of our jobs is based on the performance of officers in the field.”

The commission voted to select Faaumu after interviewing the six finalists Wednesday and Thursday and deliberating in closed executive session to discuss personnel matters. It was the final phase of a three-month selection process that followed the July 31 retirement of Gary Yabuta after five years as police chief.

“It was the collective wisdom of the Maui Police Commission as a body that the best candidate, the best fit for Maui and the best qualified candidate is Tivoli Faaumu,” said commission Chairman Roger Dixon.

During public testimony Wednesday before the commission, police Detective Barry Aoki, chairman of the Maui Chapter of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, said Faaumu was the top choice among Maui County police officers.

Aoki said Faaumu was the only one of the six finalists who reached out to the police union to ask about issues and concerns of the more than 300 police officers in the county.

“We’re thrilled,” police DUI Task Force officer Rusty Lawson, vice chairman of the SHOPO Maui Chapter, said after Faaumu’s selection. “We’re very excited. This is a very long time in coming, especially for a captain being promoted as our chief. It’s a huge change. This is considered historic for this department. This is awesome.

“Morale is pretty low right now,” Lawson said. “But with Chief Faaumu now at the helm, he has a lot of the officers’ respect. I know he can make very positive changes in our department.

“This is a very good and positive step in the right direction, not just for us officers but more for the community.”

Faaumu grew up in Tonga, the oldest son of a police officer. At age 17, he left Tonga to study business at Brigham Young University-Hawaii on Oahu. He got married and moved to Maui in 1979, for a while working as a mechanic at Kapalua Golf Course.

When he joined MPD on Aug. 5, 1985, Faaumu became the department’s first Tongan police officer.

His selection Friday makes him the first Tongan police chief in the state, according to SHOPO. He is also part-Samoan, as is reflected in his name Tivoli.

Fluent in both Tongan and English, Faaumu was called on early and often throughout his career to help investigate cases involving Tongan suspects. He assisted in many federal drug investigations, including the 2001 “Operation Awaroot” shutdown of a major crystal methamphetamine distribution ring responsible for 50 to 70 percent of the methamphetamine being sold on Maui at the time. Along with his surveillance and intelligence-gathering abilities, Faaumu’s language skills were invaluable because many of the participants conversed in the Tongan language during telephone calls that were wiretapped by the FBI.

“That was probably one of the biggest cases that MPD ever had for drug trafficking,” said retired police Lt. Jayson Rego, who helped in the investigation.

Rego worked for Faaumu when he was a vice sergeant and the two later worked together as detectives in the Lahaina Criminal Investigation Division, investigating and solving crimes including a $1 million jewelry heist in Kaanapali.

“Tivo is a great choice for the chief,” Rego said Friday. “He has all the qualities the chief should have. He’s compassionate, attentive to service.

“He can take the department to another direction.”

As a lieutenant, Faaumu was commander of the Lanai Patrol District, Communications Section, Community Relations Section and Plans, Training, Research and Development Section.

He was promoted to captain in 2011 and became commander of the Kihei Patrol District, overseeing the move last year from a storefront in a flood zone at the Kihei Town Center to a new $30 million station mauka of Piilani Highway.

In addition to an associate’s degree in administration of justice from then-Maui Community College, Faaumu has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Bellevue University and a master’s degree in homeland security from American Public University.

He is a master sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, which he joined in 1983.

With his military background, “he’s disciplined, he’s consistent,” SHOPO’s Lawson said.

“He’s a very well-liked guy in the community, a very humble man,” Lawson said.

“It’s a positive change,” said Wailuku patrol officer Nichole Comilang, treasurer of the SHOPO Maui Chapter. “He’s very easy to approach.”

Lawson said SHOPO was also grateful that both Faaumu and Police Commission members listened to officers’ concerns.

Dixon thanked the volunteer commission members, including members of a subcommittee headed by Vice Chairman Kelly Ruidas to screen the initial 17 applicants for the job and come up with six finalists.

The other finalists were retired MPD Assistant Chief Larry Hudson, retired Honolulu Police Department Major Moana Heu and retired New York Police Department Lt. Chuck Tsang.

“This has been a tough, hard task to go through these candidates to find the right candidate,” Dixon said. “The six candidates we had were excellent candidates. We appreciate their stepping up to serve the public.”

Dixon also thanked Tom for serving as interim chief after Yabuta’s retirement.

Faaumu said he had spoken to Tom, who agreed to serve as interim deputy chief to help with the transition.

Dixon pinned on Faaumu’s new badge as chief Friday morning.

“I know the continued success of the Maui Police Department will depend on responding to community concerns and issues to gain trust, a commitment to continually train and develop all employees, celebrate and recognize their achievements and identify and assist in mentoring upcoming leaders to contribute to the future,” Faaumu said.

Faaumu has a partner, Deborah Ross; three adult children – daughter Kaulana Molina and sons Kahale and Kaeo Faaumu; and two grandchildren.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

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