HPD academy to be named in honor of the Late Chief Donohue

The Honolulu City Council in May unanimously voted to rename the Honolulu Police Department’s Ke Kula Maka‘i gymnasium in Waipahū as the Chief Lee D. Donahue Gym, in honor of the beloved former chief who served in the Honolulu Police Department honorably and faithfully for over 40 years, rising through the ranks to become HPD’s eighth chief from 1998 to 2004.

Donahue is credited with guiding HPD into the 21st Century by expanding community policing, overseeing the replacement of an outdated radio system and the acquisition of bullet-resistant vests and automated external defibrillators, and achieving national accreditation for the department.   

“Chief Donahue dedicated his life and career to serving our City with great honor and an unmatched commitment to the residents of O‘ahu,” said the Council’s Public Safety Committee Chair Val Aquino Okimoto. “Even after his retirement in 2004, he continued to serve the remaining six months of former District IV Councilmember Charles Djou’s term on the City Council to assist the Department and Council by ensuring a smooth leadership transition. ”

Renaming the gymnasium honors Donohue’s decades-long service to HPD and the City, and acknowledges his significant contributions to the community. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Donohue also established the Honolulu Police Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes positive community-police relations by funding scholarships for local students, offering medical alert devices to seniors, and providing financial support to HPD.

“For over 40 years, Chief Lee D. Donohue kept our community safe as a public servant with the Honolulu Police Department. Throughout his life, he dedicated his time to supporting youth recreation and student athletics,” said Councilmember Augie Tulba who introduced the resolution. “I’m honored to recognize his commitment to our community's well-being by renaming the Ke Kula Makaʻi gymnasium to Chief Lee D. Donohue Gym.” 

HPD’s policy academy sits on a 17-acre lot located at 93-093 Waipahū Depot Street, with an Administration Building that was first built in 1988, and has undergone several expansions and improvements. Facility signage with the gymnasium’s new name honoring Donahue was also approved by the Council in May.