Four agricultural officers coming to Big Island this month for pilot program under new state law

To protect farmers and ranchers from being victims of crimes, four agricultural officers will be deployed to Hawaiʻi Island this month as part of a pilot enforcement program.

The program stems from Act 235, also known as Duke’s Law, which was signed last week by Gov. Josh Green.

The law was named by state Sen. Tim Richards in memory of Cranston “Duke” Pia, a 39-year-old Waiʻanae rancher who was fatally shot in 2024 during a confrontation with trespassing hunters.

Pia’s death prompted community members, lawmakers and agricultural groups to push for more serious enforcement and tougher penalties for trespassers, thieves and illegal hunters targeting agricultural land.

As a rancher in Kohala, Richards said he has experienced a fair share of agricultural crimes and was a passionate advocate for the law.

“I feel like we’re finally moving the needle for agriculture because for so long, agricultural crime has not been a concern because ‘it is just trespassing, or they just took a couple of fruits,'” Richards said. “But those fruits are people’s livelihoods, and Pia’s murder began with a trespass.”

Agricultural crimes are complex and multifaceted, so the state law is designed to provide a comprehensive response by having clearer definitions and penalties for violations related to agriculture and agricultural lands.

The state Department of Law Enforcement initiated the pilot agricultural enforcement program on July 1 and will deploy nine dedicated officers — four on Oʻahu, four on Hawaiʻi Island, and one supervisor overseeing both teams. They will focus on human-related agricultural crimes that involve theft, trespassing, illegal hunting, poaching and vandalism.

According to Richards, these crimes jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of farmers, undermine food security, disrupt local economies, and erode public confidence in the protection of vital resources.

The Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau estimates that agricultural crimes cost local farmers and ranchers up to $15 million annually.

Before the law, agricultural crimes often resulted in small fines. Now, habitual offenders — those with three or more agriculture-related offenses within five years — will face felony charges and jail time. The bill also allows for the seizure of weapons, vehicles and other equipment used in these crimes.

“We don’t want to punish the young guy who made a mistake one time, but we do want to target habitual offenders with harsher penalties,” Richards said. “However, no one is under any illusion that we’ll solve all the issues right away. The officers will have to meet with farmers and ranchers to see what problems they face, and new technology and equipment will need to be tested.”

The pilot program, with about $2 million in funding, will utilize tools like drones and license plate recognition cameras to help patrol large and remote land.

“It could take 30 to 40 minutes for an officer to investigate,” said Mike Lambert, director of the Department of Law Enforcement. “In theory, if we had a drone at the location, it could be out in one minute and begin capturing that violation.”

Richards has suggested that the Department of Law Enforcement meet with people working in agriculture to learn about the best spots to place these cameras and implement one database per county for agricultural calls and inquiries.

“As a rancher myself, the standalone law enforcement focused on agriculture, in my opinion, will be the most helpful,” Richards said. “Luckily, the law enforcement is wide open when it comes to figuring out how to roll this out and approach crimes. I’m sure there will be tweaks, but the officers will tap into farmers and ranchers as a resource to figure out how to move forward.”

For farmers and ranchers interested in meeting with the agricultural officers to discuss pervasive issues they face, Richards said to contact his office at 808-586-6760 or email senrichards@capitol.hawaii.gov.