Hawaii got the top ranking for its statutory protections against financial elder abuse, in the most recent survey by the personal-finance website WalletHub.com.

But as is often the case, the report is a somewhat mixed bag. Also in the good-news collection is its No. 2 ranking for highest nursing home quality, and No. 5 for the lowest number of elder-abuse complaints per senior age 65-plus.

Not so good? The state finished in the No. 47 slot for funding an ombudsman program dealing with long-term care.

These are the welcome signs of progress — with still a way to go.

A challenge for police commission chairman

The incoming chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission described the panel’s role in dealing with Honolulu’s embattled police chief, Louis Kealoha:

“Just as we’re here to take the chief to task, we’re also here to support him and the department,” Max Sword said Wednesday.

Well, not exactly. The City Charter charges the commission with providing oversight of the chief and the department — duties that include investigating “charges brought by the public.”

In any event, it won’t be easy propping up a chief who faces multiple civil lawsuits and is the subject of a federal corruption investigation.