speakers

As Supervisor of the Maui Police Department's Forensics/Identification Unit and Forensic Facility since 2016, which includes: Morgue; Cold Case, Crime Scene, Digital Forensics, Fingerprints and Rapid DNA Units, he started with MPD's Crime Scene Unit as Police Evidence Specialist in 2006. M.S. Forensic Science, B.S. Biology (minor in Chemistry) and Certified Crime Scene Investigator (IAI since 2007). Morgue Operations on-site coordinator during 2023 Lahaina Wildfires mass casualty event. Thanks to the amazing response and support of the Disaster Mortuary Response Team and other statewide and federal agencies, and private companies, our Forensic Facility grew from normal daily team of 7, to disaster operations of 127-team members working daily 0600-2300hrs.

In 2009 he expanded the forensics units by leading the relocation into a much larger building, growing from about 1,000 square feet to our present location of about 10,000 square feet. In 2011 he created MPD’s first Crime Scene Investigation Camp with a mini-version consisting of 3-new college students at University of Hawaii – Maui. Starting in 2012 he conducted the annual 40-hour (1-week) CSI camp selecting 12-high school juniors and seniors through a competitive, real-world application/interview process. This CSI experience program involves 23-guest lecturers to share their forensic expertise with lectures and hands-on practical applications – with the overall goal of encouraging interest in college programs that can contribute to the future of forensic science organizations. Within the first 6-years, our program successfully started to create college graduates from various forensic programs (bachelors and masters levels) who chose to pursue forensic-related careers in agencies from Maui PD, statewide, and on the Mainland, including federal agencies! In 2017, he created and hosted Maui County’s first Annual Forensic Science Day (held in commemoration of National Forensic Science Week) and welcomed nearly 300-high students from forensic science classes representing all of Maui’s high schools to the Forensic Facility and Morgue to learn through interactive educational displays. The event included statewide forensic partners representing all counties (Maui, Honolulu, Kaua’i and Hawai’i), state and federal agencies (including Honolulu-based FBI Evidence Response Team, and investigators from all branches of the military). In August 2023 our community experienced the tragic Lahaina Fire, creating the most fire-related deaths in modern USA history. To date, the fire claimed 102-victims.