For his selfless work making Hawaii Island a safer place for keiki, police Detective Gavin Kagimoto was honored with the Haweo Award during a ceremony held at County Council chambers in Hilo on July 6.
The award was presented by the Council’s Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee, which earlier this year partnered with the Hawaii Police and Hawaii Fire departments to recognize employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. The police and fire departments alternate each month to select one employee to be the recipient of this award, which is presented during the committee’s meetings.
Haweo, for which this award is named, means to glow or to be radiant.
Officer Kagimoto, a 17-year Hawaii Police Department veteran, was presented with a lei and a certificate signed by each council member at the ceremony.
Kagimoto has been a detective with the Hilo Juvenile Aid Section for the past five years, and was recognized for spearheading Operation Keiki Shield East Hawaii in May. He helped coordinate a multi-agency sting operation involving more than 50 personnel, managing logistics with five different agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Attorney General – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to conducting team meetings, he also acted as an investigator charging one of the cases.
As a result of Operation Keiki Shield East Hawaii, five suspects were charged with electronic enticement of a child for allegedly soliciting sexual acts from officers posing as children.