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As a boy coming of age on Kamehameha’s Kapalama campus, Rade Vanic held first chair in the band, a champion of the clarinet, and was designing his future on the foundation of a career as an architect.
On June 1, armed with
an architecture degree and bolstered by experiences working jobs in every division of the Honolulu Police Department during a nearly 22-year-long career, Vanic became the leader of Hawaii’s largest law enforcement organization.
He was unanimously selected by the Police Commission on May 5 to serve as interim chief while a nationwide search continues for Honolulu’s 12th police chief. Vanic succeeds Susan Ballard, who retired after 36 years with the department.
Named by a proud father from the former Yugoslavia, Vanic also can play the accordion and the ukulele, and says his love of helping people and community service make policing the perfect profession for him. Passionate about his Native Hawaiian culture, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii, where he recently began pursuing a master’s degree in education.
In an hourlong media availability Friday, Vanic, “out of respect for the process,” declined to publicly say whether he applied or plans to apply to be Ballard’s permanent replacement.
But in detailing his policing experiences, lessons learned and command of the internal and external issues facing the department, Vanic came off as a candidate for the full-time position. In response to a question about whether he has the experience to do the permanent job, Vanic replied, “Yes, I
do, actually. In my nearly
22-year career, I have worked in every single bureau in the department.”
He described the specific takeaways from each of his assignments, told in the order of the ranks he attained, starting with his time as a patrol officer in police District 3, Pearl City, and culminating with his role as assistant chief in charge of HPD’s administrative bureau.
Vanic is immediately focused on forging community partnerships, filling HPD’s 300 sworn officer and 100
civilian vacancies, and improving fiscal accountability in the wake of overtime and questionable federal CARES Act spending. Community partnerships are key, he said, to understanding what residents and visitors need and expect from HPD while instilling confidence in
people that officers are protecting and gaining those people’s respect.
He is determined to maintain and lift the morale of HPD’s 1,800 sworn officers and 300 civilian personnel.
“Morale is a very tricky thing. During any transition there is a fear of the unknown,” he said. “What I can tell you is our officers are very committed. They want to move forward and serve and protect the community. Morale is super important. We want to make sure our officers and civilian employees are happy when they come to work.”
Vanic addressed the challenges officers face navigating the national and local debate about racial discrimination and policing and the use of force. HPD has the most diverse department in the country, and officers do not react to race, they respond to actions, he said.
Consistently updated
officer training modules
and curriculum for metropolitan police recruits helps uniformed personnel understand the intricacies and cultural dynamics of Honolulu’s diverse community, he said. Officers will continue to he held to high standards of behavior when they interact with the public and each other.
“We can always do better,” he said. “We have big-city problems as well.”
As he adjusts to the role of Honolulu’s top police officer, Vanic is determined to broaden the department’s reach into the community. That leadership starts by supporting the men and women who keep our city safe, he said.
“I’ve been going out to the watches to talk to the officers — really, just thanking them for their really good work,” said Vanic. “Police work is a very, very tough job. Our officers put on the badge every morning and come to work not knowing whether or not they will go home. Sometimes they just need to be told thank you. Not everybody can do the job.”
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