Police Hotlines
How to Use 911
For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
For non-life-threatening emergencies, call (808) 935-3311.
Text Telephone Accessible
The Hawaiʻi Police Department’s (HPD) emergency 911 number is text telephone accessible. The department’s non-emergency number, (808) 935-3311, is also text telephone accessible, although it is recommended that deaf and hearing impaired persons use the 911 number for non-emergency as well as emergency calls.
Guidelines
- Dial 911 only for an emergency. An emergency is any serious medical problem (chest pain, seizure, bleeding), any type of fire (business, car, building), or any life-threatening situation (fights, person with weapons, etc.). Use 911 to report crimes in progress, whether or not a life is threatened.
- Do not program 911 into your auto-dial telephone. You won’t forget the number and programming the number invites accidental dialing of the number. Also, please do not dial 911 to “test” your phone or the system. This needlessly burdens the dispatchers and system with non-emergency calls.
- Do not dial 911 for a non-emergency. Instead, dial the HPD’s non-emergency telephone number: (808) 935-3311. For the Fire Department, call (808) 961-8336. A non-emergency incident is a property damage accident, a break-in to a vehicle (when suspect is gone), theft of property (when suspect is gone), vandalism (when suspect is gone), panhandlers, intoxicated persons who are not disorderly or cars blocking the street or alleys.
- Do not pick up the telephone and put it down if you don’t hear a dial tone — you’ll tie up the telephone network and delay obtaining a line. Stay on the line until you hear the dial tone. If you hear a fast busy signal, all circuits are busy — try again later. If you reach a recording, the telephone system isn’t available for your call — try again later.
- A police dispatcher answers 911 calls. However, if all call-takers are busy on other calls, the 911 call is answered by a call distributor that holds the call and then automatically routes it to the first available call-taker. If you reach a recording, do not hang up and try to call back. Stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order it was received. If you hang up, your call will be delayed because you will be placed at the end of other callers.
- Your 911 call will be routed to the police or fire department. In general, 911 calls are answered at the police central dispatch, which either handles the call or transfers it to the fire department.
- If you dialed 911 in error, do not hang up the telephone. Instead, stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. If you hang up, a dispatcher will call back to confirm that there is no emergency. If you don’t answer, a police officer must be dispatched to confirm that you are okay. This will needlessly take resources away from genuine emergencies.
- Briefly describe the type of incident you are reporting. For example, “I’m reporting a car fire,” or “I’m reporting an unconscious person,” or “I’m reporting a shoplifter.” Then stay on the line with the dispatcher — do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. In some cases, the dispatcher will keep you on the line while the emergency units are responding to ask additional questions or to obtain ongoing information.
- If you are reporting a fire or medical emergency, the police call-taker will transfer your call — stay on the line while the call is transferred. The call-taker that answers will need information about the incident.
- Let the call-taker ask you questions — they have been trained to ask questions that will help prioritize the incident, locate it and speed an appropriate response. Your answers should be brief and responsive. Remain calm and speak clearly. If you are not in a position to give full answers to the call-taker (such as if the suspect is nearby), stay on the phone and the dispatcher will ask you questions that can be answered “yes” or “no.”
- Be prepared to describe your location and the location of the emergency. Although an enhanced 911 system will display your telephone number and location, the dispatcher must confirm the displayed address or may ask you for more specific location or information about the victim or suspects. If you are calling from a cellular phone, your telephone number and location will not be displayed for the dispatcher’s reference. You must be able to describe your location so emergency units can respond. Be aware of your current city or town, address, highway and direction, nearby cross streets, or other geographic points of reference. Cellular 911 calls are frequently routed to a central PSAP that could be many miles from your location. Be prepared to give the dispatcher your complete location — district, city or town, address or location, inside or outside, what floor or room, etc.
- Be prepared to describe the persons involved in any incident. This includes their race, sex, age, height and weight, color of hair, description of clothing and presence of a hat, glasses or facial hair.
- Be prepared to describe any vehicles involved in the incident. This includes the color, year, make, model and type of vehicle (sedan, pickup, sport utility, van, tanker truck, flatbed, etc.). If the vehicle is parked the dispatcher will need to know the direction it’s facing. If the vehicle is moving or has left, the dispatcher will need to know the last direction.
- Be patient as the dispatcher asks you questions. While you are answering the dispatcher’s questions, he or she is entering or writing down the information. If you are reporting an emergency, most likely a response is being made while you are still on the line with the dispatcher.
- Listen to the dispatcher’s instructions for assistance if you are in danger yourself.
- Don’t hang up until the call-taker tells you to. Follow any instructions the dispatcher gives you, such as meeting the officers at the door, or flagging down the firefighters at the curb.
- If you are able and have training, apply first-aid to any patients who need it. Give the victim reassurance that help is on the way. Secure any dogs or other pets that may interfere with the emergency response. Gather any medications the patient is taking that the medical crew will need to take with the patient.
Vice & Drug Tips
The 24-hour anonymous vice/drug tip hotline is a means for citizens to provide the East Hawaiʻi and West Hawaiʻi Vice sections with information relating to illicit drug use and distribution, as well as vice issues such as prostitution, gambling, and other related crimes.
What number do I call?
(808) 329-“ZERO-ICE” (808) 329-0423 – Information pertaining to districts of Kaʻū, Kona, South Kohala, and North Kohala.
(808) 934-“VICE” (808) 934-8423 – Information pertaining to districts of Puna, South Hilo, and Hāmākua/North Hilo.
How does the hotline work?
When you call, you will be asked to provide information. You do not have to provide your name, address or telephone number. All information is kept confidential and within the Criminal Investigation Division.
What happens to the information I provide?
Information is cross-referenced, allowing detectives to determine if additional information related to the criminal activity about which you are calling has been reported in the past. Even “small” bits of information can at times provide detectives with the “missing link” that allows them to take action.
What if I want to speak with a detective directly?
You may leave your name and telephone number with the hotline, and a vice officer will call you as soon as possible. Again, your name and number will remain confidential at all times.
What if I want to report a drug transaction that is happening right now?
If you witness a drug crime — or any other crime — that requires immediate police response dial 911. A patrol unit will be dispatched to the area. Many times, vice officers will hear the dispatch and take direct action.
How can I use the anonymous drug tip hot line most effectively?
- Speak clearly and don’t rush. Take your time leaving your message.
- Be as specific as possible in providing the following information:
- Location of the incident, street address of building or house, description of location, nearest intersecting streets and landmarks near or at the scene.
- Description of vehicles involved, such as make, model, color and license plate.
- Description of persons involved, such as height, sex, age, weight, clothing, and hair color.
Remember, this is an anonymous tip line. The information and identity of callers are kept confidential.
For Victims of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
HPD provides important information on services and phone numbers for victims and families of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Kuleana Hotline
The Kuleana hotline is not a substitute for 911 calls. In an emergency, always call 911.
Call (808) 961-2219
The Kuleana hotline is designed to prevent tragic events in public places, including schools, restaurants, and other locations where community members gather.
The line is not manned around the clock but allows for callers to provide information by leaving voice mail messages.
Unlike Crime Stoppers, to which citizens may report information about a specific crime, the Kuleana hotline is an avenue for reporting something that may not be criminal yet, but has the potential to turn disastrous if not prevented.
Many tragedies committed by individuals or organized groups have been preceded by warning signs. We, as a community, are responsible for notifying the police if we see or hear anything that has the potential to turn into a malicious act.
For example:
- If you read a post on a social networking site about a person interested in purchasing a firearm and the person signals intent to cause harm with that weapon, call the Kuleana hotline.
- If you witness suspicious activity around public buildings, utility companies or bridges, call the Kuleana hotline.
- If you see something or someone’s behavior that may seem innocuous but gives you a “funny feeling” in your stomach that something is “just not right,” call the Kuleana hotline.
Your tip could help authorities intervene before those warning signs develop into a crime or tragedy.
“Kuleana” is the Hawaiian word for “responsibility.” The significance of the hotline’s name is that we are all neighbors living on this island together, and we are all responsible for preventing acts of terror or mass injury.
Together, we can protect our community from destructive acts.
Unsolved Homicides
Hawaiʻi Police Department believes every victim deserves justice, and that the deceased victim’s family, friends, and community deserve closure.
Please take a moment to review the Unsolved Homicides summaries and if you have any information pertaining to any of these cases, please submit a tip, email us or call our Unsolved Homicides Division at (808) 961-2380 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300. Thank you for your help!
