For the first time in the 94-year history of the Honolulu Police Department, an officer who never worked in Hawaii will lead the largest law enforcement organization in the state.

Honolulu police commissioners voted 5-2 to appoint David Lazar, 55, a retired deputy chief of the San Francisco Police Department, as the 13th chief of HPD. Mike Lambert, 46, the son of an Honolulu police officer and an ex-HPD major who spent 22-years with the department, finished second, getting votes from two commissioners.

Retired New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. Scott Ebner, who works as public safety director and chief of police in Glynn County, Ga., did not receive a vote.

Lambert and Ebner were among the finalists in 2022, when Arthur “Joe” Logan was unanimously selected to be chief on May 23, 2022. Logan retired June 18 under pressure from Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. Interim Chief Rade Vanic has led the department since. Vanic, who was among the 41 people who applied for the permanent job, also served as interim chief after Susan Ballard retired.

Lazar will now be subject to a background check conducted by the FBI and will enter into contract negotiations with the city. He will oversee an annual budget of more than $350 million while commanding more than 2,000 officers and civilian personnel.

Police commissioners spent 90 minutes interviewing each candidate Tuesday at the end of a months-long process, which included interviews by Blangiardi and panels of community members, including business leaders, federal and state law enforcement officials and county first responder agencies.

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Lambert was endorsed by Gov. Josh Green, Blangiardi, and the police officers’ union. The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers released a survey showing that nearly 90% of the respondents said they wanted Lambert to lead them.

But that did not matter to the majority of the police commissioners when they wrote their pick down on pieces of paper and handed them to Chair Laurie Foster on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s been an inclusive process, a thorough process … a professional process and we’ve tried to make it as transparent as possible. The overwhelming request of the community was modernization and transformation, good to great,” said Foster, speaking to reporters after Lazar’s selection. “The conclusion of all the commissioners was that all three could have run this department effectively. They are all super candidates. But we had to make a choice. … It’s now really up to the community to embrace the new chief and for all of us to help the new chief become successful.”

She thanked Vanic for stepping up twice to lead HPD during leadership transitions, lauding Vanic’s “tremendous commitment to this department.”

“We owe him (Vanic) a huge debt of gratitude for doing that, for what he has done for this community,” Foster said.

Lazar, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, red tie and wearing a single white lei, told reporters after he was picked that he is coming to Oahu with “humility and a tremendous amount of respect” for the work done by the men and women of HPD.

“It’s not easy coming from the outside. And I come from a place where outsiders were not welcome. but I saw an outside chief come to our department and he was gracious, and he was humble and he was respectful and he worked hard with the men and women of the department to move it forward,” said Lazar. “That’s my plan as the next chief.”

He said he looks forward to working with HPD’s command staff to build morale, be accountable and be transparent within the department and with the community. Lazar pledged to meet with all of the officers and civilian personnel under his command.

“There was a survey about who they (the officers) wanted, and they will get to know me. And I am confident that we will get to know each other, we will work well with each other and we will all have the same thing in mind: making sure we are taking care of our police officers, our civilian staff and taking care of our community,” he said. “That’s going to be a priority through wellness. We have to recruit more officers, modernize … but it’s the team at HPD that’s going to lead this and I’m going to stand behind them and support them with what they want to do.”

Lazar said that Lambert is “very talented and very smart”and has a lot of good ideas.

“I want him back at HPD. … I want him to be part of our team and I want to best utilize his talents so we can improve our department. We are going to figure out how to do that,” Lazar said. “I got to know him. … I understand why he is liked because he’s a likable guy. I like him, but most importantly he’s got a big heart and he’s dedicated so I’m thankful and I’m hoping he will be a part of our team.”

Despite 33 years as a police officer, Lazar committed to leading HPD for as long as the officers and the city will have him. He said he will no longer mention his policing past or prior posting because “this is my home now.” Lazar married into a Hawaii family 32 years ago. His wife is Filipino and Hawaiian, his mother-in-law was born in Halawa and his wife’s dad is from Kahuku.

“I want to be clear about something. I want to be the last outside chief of the Hono­lulu Police Department. I’m going to say that every year because this is an opportunity to develop the next leaders, the Mike Lamberts, and the command staff, and the leaders that are coming up,” Lazar said. “So that when we modernize, when we are an agency of best practices, when we have constitutional policing, when … the public really loves what HPD does … we are ready for the next chief to come from the inside.”

Reaction to Lazar’s appointment by those who shared it Wednesday was supportive and indicated a desire to come together behind the mission of keeping the community safe.

City Council Chair Tommy Waters said in a statement that Lazar’s selection was a “meaningful moment” for HPD and the community. He said he supports the appointment and is ready to work with him.

“This was a difficult decision because the public safety stakes are high, and Honolulu needs leadership grounded in integrity, accountability, and trust. (Lazar’s) priorities align with HPD’s immediate need to strengthen recruitment, support officers, and rebuild the sense of mission that draws people to public service,” Waters said.

The City Council has “high expectations for Lazar,” including managing HPD’s $350 million-plus annual budget, filling critical officer and civilian vacancies, and ensuring the department remains accountable to its Oath of Office and Code of Ethics, he said.

“Just as important, law enforcement must remain rooted in service, responsibility, and a commitment to the greater good. HPD’s future depends not only on staffing and operations but also on restoring the sense of mission that attracts good people to public service,” Waters said.

SHOPO President Don Faumuina, in a statement, congratulated Lazar on his appointment.

“We look forward to working in partnership with him to address the challenges facing the Honolulu Police Department, including our retention crisis, aging infrastructure, and employee morale,” he said. “Above all else, SHOPO members want to see positive change and to see those changes happen soon. SHOPO stands ready to be an active partner and problem-solver to move HPD forward, elevate its stature so it truly reflects the talent of the men and women who serve our community, and consistently provide the high-quality public safety services our residents deserve.”

Faumuina also expressed SHOPO’s thanks and gratitude for Vanic’s “willingness, once again, to lead our Department through this period of transition.”

“We thank the Police Commission for including SHOPO in the selection process. We look forward to discussing their strategy and expectations for HPD’s future,” he said.

HOW THEY VOTED

The seven members of the Honolulu Police Commission spent 90 minutes interviewing each candidate Tuesday at the end of a months-long process and voted as follows:

FOR DAVID LAZAR

>> Laurie Foster, chair

>> Jeannine A. Souki, vice chair

>> Chris Magnus, vice chair

>> Kenneth Silva

>> Elizabeth Char

FOR MIKE LAMBERT

>> Blake Parsons

>> Gary A. Yabuta