N\u0100N\u0100KULI \u2014 The Hawai\u02bbi State Department of Education and Honolulu Police Department are expanding their School Resource Officer (SRO) partnership to four O\u02bbahu public schools this school year after a successful pilot demonstrated the value of retired police officers serving as mentors, trusted adults and safety partners on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
N\u0101n\u0101kuli High & Intermediate School will join the program this year with three assigned SROs. Existing pilot schools Kaimuk\u012b High School and Wai\u02bbanae High School will each add one officer, bringing all participating campuses into alignment with the program’s three-officer staffing model. Kapolei High School will continue with three SROs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe’re grateful for our continued partnership with the Honolulu Police Department. These officers are becoming trusted adults on our campuses who build relationships with students, provide mentorship and career guidance, and help foster a safe, welcoming learning environment,\u201d Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. \u201cThe positive response from our schools over the five months has shown the value of this approach, and we’re excited to expand the program to more students.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike traditional policing models, the SRO program emphasizes relationship-building, mentorship and prevention. The retired officers work alongside school administrators, counselors and staff to support students, resolve conflicts and connect young people with resources while maintaining responsibility for law enforcement when necessary. School administrators remain responsible for student discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe schools will be safe but more importantly, these are role models, these are mentors, these are people that the students will trust,\u201d Honolulu Police Department Chief David Lazar said. \u201cThe more we\u2019re on these campuses, the less enforcement we have to take and the more mentorship we can provide \u2014 that\u2019s really the why behind what we are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
N\u0101n\u0101kuli High & Intermediate Principal Moani Nahulu-Mahelona said the program is especially meaningful because it will serve both intermediate and high school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited that N\u0101n\u0101kuli is the first school on O\u02bbahu with intermediate grade levels to be a part of the SRO program,\u201d said N\u0101n\u0101kuli High & Intermediate School\u2019s new principal Moani Nahulu-Mahelona. \u201cMiddle school and intermediate years are a critical developmental crossroads for adolescents. Having SROs present during these formative years offers invaluable benefits. Our younger students get to interact with officers as mentors, approachable guides and allies long before they reach high school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last school year, Nahulu-Mahelona served as a vice principal at Kapolei High School where she saw firsthand the impact of having school resource officers on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInitially, students were unsure of what to expect. But within weeks, that caution turned into genuine connection,\u201d she said. \u201cStudents could be seen high-fiving the officer in the hallways, talking story during lunch and reaching out for advice when facing personal or peer challenges. The officers became a trusted, everyday fixture of the school \u2018ohana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n