Honolulu Police Hope Child Care Will Help Recruit And Retain Employees
As thousands of people on Oʻahu navigated traffic-clogged streets to get home or evacuate to higher ground during last week’s tsunami warning, patrol Sgt. Jonathan Frye was summoned to work.
But first, Frye, one of many police officers called in to respond to the emergency, had to find someone to watch his three children, ages 2, 6 and 9. The challenge is particularly acute for first responders, who work around the clock and are often asked to stay overtime or, like Frye, come in on their days off.
The Honolulu Police Department announced last month that it plans to create a child care program for its personnel to boost recruitment and retention. Vacancies have continued to rise, reaching 465 sworn officers and 189 civilian employees in July, up from 434 officers and 187 civilians a year ago.
“We need to be able to find child care at a moment’s notice in order for us to be able to respond and care for the public and the needs of the city,” Frye, who is Honolulu chapter chair of the state police union, said during an interview Thursday at his Pearl City home.
“Having something like this available that’s affordable would make this a more enticing job,” he said, “because now people that have that drive and passion for law enforcement work and service to the community, now they’ll be able to do it and have a family.”