The Honolulu Police Department’s islandwide chase on New Year’s Day, culminating in two officers being wounded and the suspect killed, certainly caught everyone’s attention.

But when it came to light, more than two weeks later, that two bystanders also were swept into the fray, particularly loud alarm bells went off in Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s office about poor communication by HPD. The mayor learned about the injured bystanders from the media pretty much when the public did, when a police brutality lawsuit was filed.

With any luck, Honolulu’s boss will see that better public transparency results.