Big Island cop Collin Roberts named Officer of the Month

For his attention to detail and extra effort apprehending suspects – even while off-duty – Officer Collin Roberts was honored as the October 2023 Officer of the Month by the Kona Crime Prevention Committee on Oct. 4 in Kona.

Officer Roberts has worked in Kona Patrol since completing his field training following his graduation from the department’s 95th recruit class in June 2022, for which he was class president.

In June 2023 while on patrol in Kona, Officer Roberts was in a store parking lot when a man waved him down. The man reported that while he and a friend were repossessing a vehicle in the parking lot, his friend was “kidnapped” and taken away by two men who threatened to kill his friend if he did not provide them with the vehicle title within two days.

Officer Roberts collected video footage and talked to witnesses in numerous follow-up investigations, developing a list of suspects, which resulted in the arrest and charging of both male suspects.

That same month, Officer Roberts was off-duty driving his car when he learned of a vehicle theft from a rental agency at the Kona International Airport. Looking for matching vehicles as he continued driving to his destination, he spotted the stolen vehicle heading south on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

Advising central dispatch that he had located the stolen vehicle, Officer Roberts turned around and started following the car, keeping dispatch apprised of its location. While following the vehicle, Officer Roberts coordinated with on-duty officers, who arrived on scene immediately as the driver pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall.

Officer Roberts assisted the on-duty officers in taking the suspect into custody without incident. Thanks to his keen observations and actions the suspect was apprehended and charged.

“These cases may not have been solved without Officer Roberts’ hard work and drive,” said Kona Patrol Lieutenant Erich Jackson, who nominated Officer Roberts for the award.

Every month the Kona Crime Prevention Committee honors a police officer in west Hawai‘i as their Officer of the Month. Officers are nominated by their supervisors from the various police districts and a winner is selected by the Kona Crime Prevention Committee board of directors. All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year.