 |
| Police in Kalalau valley hunting for Koolau, 1862-1897. Photo credit: Hawaii State Archives. |
Getting into the HPD Museum at their headquarters Downtown is a bit intimidating (bring your ID and be prepared to go through a metal detector). It also takes a while, even though the museum is near the building entrance (they probably run a background check on you or something), but it's unique and worth the trip.
The HPD Museum is housed in one large room, fluorescently lit like a government office space. Access is by guided tour only. The guides are actual cops with a healthy sense of humor. The tour begins with how Kamehameha the Great (Kamehameha I) ruled his people and progresses more or less chronologically and counter-clockwise to the Hawaii Five-0 remake. A lot happened in the interim; there is much to see. The room doesn't seem that large when you first walk in, but it feels much larger once you realize every item in there has a fascinating story.
The collection includes a wide variety of items ranging from motorcycles and weaponry to vintage uniforms and an antique, confiscated 'okolehao still. In addition to these larger items, there are many glass cases filled with fascinating smaller items that you may not get much time to inspect during the tour (max out that parking meter so you can spend some time here). The lives of past HPD veterans enshrined in framed photographs are brought to life by the tour guide. I'm sure there was something in there related to the WWII era, but I don't recall anything specific. Get a taste of HPD history by visiting their website.
There is street parking and a few metered stalls in the HPD garage (entrance behind the building between King and Beretania). Free admission, limited hours.