5 Big Isle police personnel honored for their fight against impaired driving

Their work, while most often not performed at traditional times and sometimes done under dangerous circumstances, is important to the Big Island.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i, or MADD, and the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation this week honored 5 members of the Hawai‘i Police Department for their efforts and dedication in the fight against drunk and drugged driving that not only reduces injuries on island roadways, but saves lives.

Those honored were Traffic Services Manager Torey Keltner and officers Jason Miyashiro, Lawrence Kobayashi, John Harvey and Adam Roberg.

Three were honored during a Tuesday luncheon in Hilo. The two others received their accolades during a luncheon Wednesday in Kona.

“The work that traffic enforcement officers do in the field, pulling over suspected impaired drivers, preventing them from driving on our roads, helps saves lives,” said Hawai‘i Police Department Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz.

During his tenure with Honolulu Police Department, Moszkowicz served as major of the Traffic Division, receiving in 2019 a MADD lifetime achievement award.

“We honor those who are doing exemplary the work in the field, as well as their families who support them,” Moszkowicz added.

Since joining the Hawai‘i Police Department 9 years ago, Keltner has played a significant role in managing grants to conduct impaired driving enforcement operations, securing $485,948 in funding during 2023.

He is persistent in locating and coordinating nationally-recognized training for personnel to ensure they have what they need to successfully prosecute impaired drivers.

A 6-year veteran of the department, Miyashiro was honored for his work as a drug recognition expert and trainer, responsible for training future drug recognition expert officers. Assigned to the Puna District, he has conducted 34 drug recognition expert evaluations during his career.

He was previously honored by MADD in 2019.

Kobayashi has worked in the South Hilo district for most of his 23-year career with the Hawai‘i Police Department. He is known for his dedicated traffic and impaired driver enforcement, last year issuing 746 traffic citations, completing 46 operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant arrests and investigations as well as generating 1,068 additional investigations.

He was previously honored by MADD in 2018 and 2019.

In just the 4 short years Harvey has been with the Police Department, he has made it his mission to enforce traffic laws, arrest impaired drivers and make Big Island roads safer. Assigned to Kona Patrol, during the past year Harvey issued 2,081 traffic citations, arrested 24 impaired drivers and conducted 9 drug recognition expert evaluations.

A drug recognition expert for about one year, Harvey was selected to become a drug recognition expert instructor.

Assigned to the Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit in West Hawai‘i, Roberg has stoodout for his enforcement actions and commitment to educating colleagues about the signs of impaired driving through his role as a drug recognition expert instructor.

During his 14-year career with the department, Roberg has conducted 78 DRE evaluations. He was previously honored by MADD in 2016 and 2018.

Before announcing this year’s honorees at each event, MADD volunteer Kurt Kendro, who is also a retired major with Honolulu Police Department, described losing two fellow officers to impaired officers.

“Doing what you do, putting these programs together and working to eliminate impaired drivers on our streets makes a difference on our roads,” said Kendro. “We appreciate all the hard work you do.”