MEDIA RELEASE

Hilo Exchange Club Board Member Joey Estrella presents an "Officer of the Month" for February plaque to Officer Luke Watkins.

The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaiʻi recognized Puna Patrol Officer Luke Watkins as “Officer of the Month” for February and South Hilo Patrol Officer Keith Nacis as “Officer of the Month” for March. Both officers were honored Thursday (April 26) at a luncheon ceremony at Coqui’s Hideaway in Hilo.

Officer Watkins was recognized for what Sergeant Dayne Bolos described as his “dedication to duty and diligent investigation” of a burglary.

Last November, Watkins responded to a man who had encountered a burglar in his father’s home in the Orchidland Estates subdivision. After the encounter, the burglar fled, leaving behind the owner’s hand and power tools he had stacked by the back door before the interruption.

Watkins used his investigative skills to link the crime to a man with a lengthy criminal history who was said to have bragged about other burglaries in the subdivision. Once the suspect’s participation was confirmed, Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Section charged the suspect with felony burglary and felony theft. Further investigation led to additional arrests.

Hilo Exchange Club Board Member Joey Estrella presents an "Officer of the Month" for March plaque to Officer Keith Nacis.

Officer Nacis was acknowledged for being, in the words of Lieutenant Miles Chong, “a focused, self-motivated and goal-oriented employee who consistently carries a higher-than-average workload in both investigations and traffic enforcement.”

In January, Nacis spent much of his patrol shift responding to a large volume of calls for service. During that same period, he investigated 51 incidents and 19 traffic accidents, and arrested 29 persons. Between calls, he proactively conducted traffic enforcement, issuing citations for 303 traffic violations.

Lieutenant Chong said Nacis effectively organizes and prioritizes his workload and completes thorough investigations and other tasks in a timely manner. “This statistical data for the month of January is not coincidental, but is a direct reflection of what I have come to expect from Officer Nacis’ work performance and production levels on a monthly basis,” Chong said.

As “Officer of the Month,” Watkins and Nacis are each eligible for “Officer of the Year.” The East Hawaii “Officer of the Month” award is a project of the Aloha Exchange Club of Hilo.