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The Honolulu Police Department recognized outstanding police officers, as well as two civilians, at a special ceremony last month.
Police Chief Louis M. Kealoha presented awards June 24 during a recognition ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.
Certificates of Merit were presented to:
» Cpl. Chad J. Giesseman and Officers Frank F. Pojsl and Austin V. Rogers. On Feb. 16 the officers worked to prevent a woman from jumping off the Queen Emma overpass of the H-1 freeway.
» Officer Don M. Faumuina, who on Dec. 30 at the Hawaii Okinawa Center was emceeing a luncheon when he saved a fellow officer from choking.
» Civilians Cesar Dumayas Sr. and Scott Suapaia were honored for two separate incidents. On Feb. 6, Dumayas observed an attack on an officer and without concern for his own safety went to the officer’s aid. On Nov. 6 Suapaia chased a person who was fleeing the scene of an accident and detained him for the police.
Letters of appreciation were presented to Sgt. Brian M. Taniguchi and Officers Ikaika K.M. Aiu, Ernest-Siosi F. Aliksa, Austin V. Rogers and Christopher K. Nutter. On Feb. 7 the officers were responding to an unrelated case when they heard a loud crash. A tour bus had hit a concrete barrier, and the bus driver was unconscious. Together the officers saved the bus driver, who had suffered a cardiac arrest. No passengers were in the bus at the time.
The department’s "Employee of the Quarter" award was presented to Officer Noli F. Galicha Jr. of the Waikiki patrol district. Supervisors said Galicha conducts a "high volume" of enforcement on a daily basis and is professional and compassionate.
The Unit of the Quarter is the Child and Family Violence Detail (Criminal Investigation Division). From Jan. 1 to March 31, the Child and Family Violence Detail received 492 family violence cases, a 52 percent increase from the same period the previous year. The detail closed 321 cases, or 65 percent. The Child and Family Violence Detail also took the lead on all departmental family violence training.
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COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT