Question: What are the requirements to get a Honolulu Police Department license plate? This would seem like an honor to have one and those drivers would respect the badge and drive accordingly. I have been noticing more and more of these plates on modified vehicles, usually driven by younger drivers who blatantly seem to drive as though they have been given a “safe” pass.
Answer: First, a point of clarification: The specialty license plates you cite are affiliated with the Honolulu Police Relief Association, not HPD itself, and serve as a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization. “The HPRA license plate is available to any member of the public and does not convey special privileges,” said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu, who referred us to the association for more information.
The specialty license plates are available as part of a statewide program that lets nonprofits raise money by promoting sales of customized Hawaii plates and sharing in the fees generated. The license plates retain the recognizable rainbow logo and leave room for the nonprofit’s decal on the left. Vehicle owners pay $30.50 the first year and $25 each year thereafter, in addition to regular vehicle registration fees and taxes. The nonprofit, in this case the HPRA, receives $20 for each designated vehicle registration.
The HPRA was founded in 1932 by a group of Honolulu police officers to buy life insurance at group rates, a benefit it extends to members to this day, along with other perks, according to its website. The group counts active and retired HPD employees among its members.
It has a physical location at 1537 Young St., Suite 200, and an online store on its website. You can find details about the license plates at hpra.info/support-hpra.html.
Gary Denis, an HPRA store manager, said he was not aware of any spike in license plate sales, but said that would be difficult for him to gauge because that particular item is processed directly at satellite city halls, not sold in the HPRA store.
“Honolulu is the most popular, saleswise. They also are available in Hawaii County, Kauai and Maui. But I wouldn’t say that sales are rising,” he said. “They don’t give you any special status or convey any special privilege. It’s just a way to show your support for HPD and the work that law enforcement does.”
These plates shouldn’t appear on official Honolulu Police Department vehicles. Marked fleet vehicles carry special HPD plates, Yu said. HPD-subsidized vehicles — the personally owned vehicles that some officers drive on the job — are not allowed to carry the HPRA specialty plate, according to the license plate application.
Q: Is it too late to give feedback on my child’s school? I didn’t get a survey.
A: No, the deadline to complete and return the Department of Education’s School Quality Survey is March 15. Parents of public school students in grades four, five, seven, eight, nine and 11 may participate.
For information, check with your child’s school, call the state DOE office at 733-4008 (on Oahu) or 855-276-5801 (on neighbor islands), or email SQS@notes.k12.hi.us.
The annual survey gathers information about Hawaii’s public schools from students in the selected grades; their parents and guardians; and school faculty, administrators and staff. The survey addresses topics such as school culture, satisfaction and engagement. Responses remain anonymous, according to the DOE.
Students and school employees take the survey online at school. Parent or guardians may take the survey online or on paper.
Auwe
Shame on you, driver of a silver vehicle who received a citation the morning of Feb. 3. You were obviously parked less than 4 feet away from a driveway and not in a parking space, which are all marked on the street. After receiving the citation you moved your car and then took a picture of it, as if intending to challenge the citation. Shame! Just pay the citation and let this be a lesson. Be responsible. — Appalled resident
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