STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1209

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 645

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 645, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Department of Law Enforcement

 

G.M. No. 645

MIKE LAMBERT,

for a term to expire 12-07-2026. (Position corrected by GM650)

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Mike Lambert for service as the Director of Law Enforcement.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Mike Lambert from the Governor; the Judiciary; Department of Accounting and General Services; Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Department of Defense; Department of Health; Behavioral Health Administration of the Department of Health; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Taxation; Department of Transportation; Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center; National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii; Hina Mauka; HomeAid Hawaii; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; and twenty-three individuals.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Lambert's experience, knowledge, and leadership in community-based public services qualify him for appointment to the position of Director of Law Enforcement.

 

     Mr. Lambert received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration with a concentration in Justice Administration from the University of Hawaii West Oahu.  Mr. Lambert began his career with the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) in 2002 as a Metropolitan Police Officer patrolling downtown Honolulu, and he has worked in law enforcement in the State for over twenty years.  Mr. Lambert has been a Metropolitan Police Major with the HPD since 2020.  He is a certified Field Training Evaluation Supervisor, a certified Rapid Field Deployment Lieutenant responsible for riot control and active shooter response, and a certified Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator and Trainer.  Mr. Lambert currently teaches at the HPD Training Academy, where he utilizes his experience to educate the next generation of law enforcement officers.  In this role, Mr. Lambert has modernized the HPD training curriculum by placing an emphasis on de-escalation and communication.  Prior to his time with the Training Academy, Mr. Lambert worked the gambling detail of the narcotics vice division, where he made notable contributions to the crackdown on illegal gaming rooms.  He also worked directly with members of the public through his time in the Community Outreach Unit.  Mr. Lambert was consistently promoted within HPD, serving as a Metropolitan Police Captain, Metropolitan Police Lieutenant, and Metropolitan Police Sergeant.

 

     Your Committee further finds that Mr. Lambert is active in the community and has created and managed several programs, including the Homeless Outreach Navigation for Unsheltered Persons Program, Provisional Outdoor Screening and Triage Program, and Health Efficiency Long-term Partnerships Program.  He has been nominated for and has received several prominent awards related to his work, and recognition of his contributions to the State was further illustrated by testimony in support of his appointment from a diverse cross-section of the public, private enterprises, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.  Many testifiers noted Mr. Lambert's commitment to listening to community members' concerns and the honesty with which he responds to them, observing that he will truthfully identify his own limitations and not issue unfulfillable promises to vulnerable groups.  In his personal statement regarding his desire to fulfill the role of Director of Law Enforcement, Mr. Lambert expressed his dedication to earning and maintaining the trust of the public, operating with transparency, and combatting corruption.

 

     Mr. Lambert's experience, skills, and leadership will be assets to the Department of Law Enforcement.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Mike Lambert be appointed to the position of Director of Law Enforcement based on his integrity, institutional knowledge, and commitment to public safety.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair