Former Honolulu police Deputy Chief Warren Ferreira was known for his ability to nurture relations between officers and residents.
After playing a key role with the Honolulu Police Department’s CrimeStoppers program in the 1980s, he headed security operations for the Outrigger Enterprises hotel chain, where he became instrumental in the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii.
"He was a proponent of community policing partnerships before the buzzwords were around," said retired police Capt. Letha DeCaires, the former CrimeStoppers coordinator. "I admired him greatly."
Ferreira, 73, died April 6 at the Hospice of Hilo.
Born in Honolulu and raised in St. Louis Heights, Ferreira joined HPD in 1960, rising through the ranks to become deputy chief, second in command to former Chief Doug Gibb in 1983. Gibb, whom DeCaires described as one of Ferreira’s best friends, died last July 1 at 72.
Ferreira got CrimeStoppers involved with the Charity Walk, which became one of the longest and most stable financial pillars for the program, DeCaires said. For a time he was CrimeStoppers president.
A year after his retirement from HPD in 1989, Ferreira joined Outrigger as its corporate director of security. He was the company’s manager of the year in 1995. The security department won the Corporate Innovation Award in 1996.
Ferreira also was on the board of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, which provides services for tourists who are victims of crimes in Hawaii, from 1998 to 2008.
Jessica Lani Rich, VASH president and executive director, said Ferreira was instrumental in VASH becoming a go-to agency.
"He set the groundwork for the relationship we have with the police department today," she said.
"If our agency isn’t notified by the police, we don’t know that a crime has occurred." Rich said. "Warren was a strong advocate for us. He urged police to notify us."
Rich said Ferreira also served as a mentor to her and others. "He was just here for so many people."
After retiring from Outrigger, Ferreira served as campus security director for the University of Hawaii at Hilo, beginning in 2009.
Ferreira was a former chairman of the state Board of Private Detectives and Guards. He was also involved with the Waikiki Business Improvement District and the Hawai‘i Hotel & Visitor Industry Security Association.
Ferreira is survived by his wife, Cindy Kerrigan-Ferreira; daughters Wendy Ferreira-Ilac, Kehau Ferreira-Anglin, and Stacy Clayton; son James Ferreira; and six grandchildren.
A Hilo service will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 1 at Dodo Mortuary. A Honolulu service will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 4 at Borthwick Mortuary.
