Two Ka‘u District police officers recently were recognized as the 2023 Ka‘u Officer of the Year and Ka‘u Top Enforcer.
Officer Rodney Kekaualua Jr. received the Officer of the Year award, and Officer Jenna Kosinski-Santos received the Top Enforcer award during a ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 9, in Naalehu.
The awards are the first in the department’s 80-year history to be specifically bestowed on Ka‘u officers and are similar to Officer of the Month and Officer of the Quarter awards issued by various organizations in other parts of the island.
“On behalf of the entire department, I am proud of the work Officers Kekaualua Jr. and Kosinski-Santos are doing,” said Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz in a press release. “Their joint commitment to serving and protecting the Naalehu community in the spirit of aloha is a model for officers islandwide.“
The Ka‘u Officer of the Year award is determined by a vote of all officers in the district.
“This provides the officers the opportunity to decide who amongst them, in their opinion, deserves the nomination,” said Acting Capt. Pernell Hanoa, commander of the Ka‘u District, in the press release. “It really speaks volumes to not only an officer’s work ethic, but also to his/her character.”
Kekaualua, a four-year-veteran of the department, was nominated by his peers as the district’s inaugural Officer of the Year. He has worked in the Ka‘u district since graduating the police academy in 2020.
“Officer Kekaualua is a humble person with a positive attitude and outstanding dedication,” said Hanoa.
The Ka‘u 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. Kosinski-Santos is a five-year veteran of the department and has has served the Ka‘u community since 2021.
“She’s a pro-active officer who has a gift of motivating those around her,” said Hanoa, noting this is not Kosinski-Santos’ first time being recognized. She received the Kona Crime Prevention Committee Officer of the Month award in December 2020 for responding to a fatal traffic collision while off duty, and the Hawaii County Council Haweo award in May 2022 for rescuing an elderly man trapped in a vehicle.
“In addition to recognizing our officers, I’d like to convey our appreciation to the Ka‘u community,” said Hanoa. “The support we’ve received and continue to be blessed with from our residents and local businesses is incredible.”