To hire off-duty Honolulu police officers, you complete the HPD Special Duty Request Form and send it to the department’s Special Duty Section by email, fax, or in person. Before your first request can be processed, you need an account on file. Submit the completed form at least ten working days before the job, and expect to pay officer compensation, an administrative fee, and an insurance fee on top of any vehicle charges. You can download the form from HPD’s website, pick it up at 801 South Beretania Street, or ask to have it faxed to you.
Open an Account Before You Order
HPD will not process a special duty request from a requester who isn’t already in the system. To set up an account, email a completed special duty application and a copy of your ID to specialduty@honolulu.gov.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer Once the account is active, later requests can go in by fax and you’ll be invoiced for service fees. Build in extra lead time on your first job, because the account step comes before the request itself gets reviewed.
What the Form Asks For
The form is split into sections. Section A covers the job: your company or individual name, the location and address, and the exact start and end times.2Honolulu Police Department. HPD Special Duty Request Form You also state how many officers you need and whether the job calls for a subsidized (privately owned) vehicle, a solo motorcycle, or a bicycle. Each of those carries a separate fee.
Describe the work clearly. HPD distinguishes between standard security, traffic control, escort duties, and event staffing, and a vague description slows things down. Filing false information can get the request declined and future requests rejected as well.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer
Required Supervisor Ratios
You don’t choose the supervisor count. HPD sets it. For every four officers you hire, you must also hire one sergeant. For every three sergeants, you must include one lieutenant.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer The department can decline a request from anyone who refuses to staff to those ratios. Factor the supervisory positions into your budget from the start, because sergeants and lieutenants bill at higher hourly rates.
Rates and Fees
HPD publishes a compensation schedule with separate regular and premium columns. Current regular and premium hourly rates:3Honolulu Police Department. Payment – Honolulu Police Department
- Police Officer: $60.00 regular / $85.00 premium
- Solo Motorcycle Officer: $63.00 / $88.00
- Police Sergeant: $64.00 / $89.00
- Solo Motorcycle Sergeant: $67.00 / $92.00
- Police Lieutenant: $70.00 / $100.00
- Police Captain: $74.00 / $104.00
- Police Major: $80.00 / $110.00
If alcohol is being served or consumed at the event, add $10.00 per hour to the officer rate.3Honolulu Police Department. Payment – Honolulu Police Department
On top of compensation, HPD charges an $18.00 administrative fee for the first officer and $2.00 for each additional officer on the same job. An insurance fee of $5.00 per officer is payable directly to the City and County of Honolulu. All fees are nonrefundable.3Honolulu Police Department. Payment – Honolulu Police Department
When a subsidized (privately owned) vehicle is used, you pay the officer $10.00 per hour plus mileage at $0.70 per mile based on the current city rate. Solo motorcycles and bicycles each carry a $10.00 charge payable to the City and County of Honolulu. Officers on non-escort jobs qualify for mileage only when their required driving exceeds 20 miles.3Honolulu Police Department. Payment – Honolulu Police Department
When Premium Rates Apply
Premium rates aren’t just for holidays. Any requester can voluntarily elect them to make an assignment more attractive, which is useful for hard-to-fill time slots. They also become mandatory in two timing situations. If you submit a request less than 48 hours before the job starts, the premium rate applies. For large events involving ten or more officers or more than 900 attendees, the request must be submitted at least two weeks in advance; miss that window and the premium rate applies automatically.4Honolulu Police Department. Special Duty Rate Schedule
How to Submit the Form
HPD does not offer an online submission portal. Send the completed form by one of three methods:
- Email: specialduty@honolulu.gov
- Fax: (808) 768-1699
- In person: Honolulu Police Department, Major Events Division — Special Duty Section, 801 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state and federal holidays. The section can also be reached by phone at (808) 723-3575.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer
Submit at least ten working days before the event. That lead time lets the section post the assignment and find available officers.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer Incomplete forms delay processing, so check every field before sending.
After You Submit
Sending the form does not guarantee an officer will be assigned. HPD posts the opportunity for off-duty officers who volunteer; the department does not order anyone to take the work. You are responsible for following up with the Special Duty Section during business hours to find out whether your request was filled.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer Silence doesn’t mean coverage.
Changes and Cancellations
Any change to an existing job request — date, time, officer count, location — must be submitted in writing on HPD’s separate Special Duty Changes/Cancellations Form. Email or fax it to the same specialduty@honolulu.gov address or (808) 768-1699 fax number.1Honolulu Police Department. How to Order a Special Duty Officer
Cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice before the assignment starts and you will be charged a two-hour minimum fee for each officer you requested.5Honolulu Police Department. Changes for Existing Special Duty Job Requests That charge applies whether or not an officer had already accepted the shift, so canceling early is worth the effort.