Served from April 16, 1956 to April 1, 1983

Francis Keala was the fifth and youngest police chief in the history of The Honolulu’s Police Department. He was sworn in as Chief at the age of 39 and led the department from 1969 to 1983.

Chief Keala’s term began during the tumultuous era of antiwar demonstration and the civil rights movement. In what was then considered a bold move, he informed the public that organized crime had become well established in the community and led the department to disrupt its operations. He also focused on some of the more common crimes and used innovative and elaborate tactics to fight the problem, including the “Operation Hukilau” undercover sting enterprise, “Operation Green Harvest” marijuana eradication program, a school truancy program, and a “no questions asked” firearms turn-in campaign.

Chief Keala is also credited with expanding Internal Affairs to include annual inspections, developing a recruitment drive and a training program that received national recognition, and creating a community relations division to get the public involved with combating crime.

Inducted on May 17, 2007