The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (DPS) recently achieved re-accreditation through the , Inc. (CALEA®) in July 2023. In 2019, DPS was the first college campus security agency to receive CALEA accreditation in the state, and just the second in the nation. Currently, DPS is also one of six nationwide agencies to receive the CALEA Campus Security Advanced Accreditation.

“Maintaining our CALEA accreditation is a testimonial to the professionalism that our officers and employees demonstrate at UH Mānoa on a daily basis,” said DPS Chief Andrew Black. “I am very proud of the women and men of DPS and their dedication to making the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa a safe place to learn, work and visit.”

In order to achieve accredited status, DPS must comply with 293 standards and maintain continued compliance in order to keep their status. Accreditation lasts four years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports and participate in annual web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. At the end of the cycle, peer assessors conduct a site-based review which includes interviewing various students, faculty, staff and community members. Once the review is completed, DPS sends representatives to attend a public hearing before the commission and is awarded re-accreditation.

Community involvement

The CALEA accreditation process is an ongoing effort, and initially involved more than three years of policy development and training, to align the department with industry best practices. Over the past four years, DPS has focused on strengthening department operations and policies even more, in order to receive the Advanced Accreditation status. The program focuses on the safety and security of students and employees, and applies standards that require organizations to consider critical issues such as facility risks, regulatory reporting, technology-based security monitoring, preventative patrol and a host of other issues that provide comprehensive service delivery. These concepts center on the community-oriented policing model, which seeks to involve the community in crime prevention and education.

Community-oriented policing provides a framework in which public safety agencies and citizens can work in partnership to prevent and control challenges confronting our communities and provides clear direction about community expectations. Accreditation serves to give an agency a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority, and routine reports that support decision-making and resource allocation.

“We appreciate the UH Mānoa community’s continued support in our efforts to ensure a safe and secure campus for our students, employees, and visitors,” Black said.

Deanna Johnson has been named deputy chief of the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (DPS).

Johnson has more than 22 years of experience in law enforcement with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona, working her way through the ranks from deputy sheriff to bureau chief.

Deputy Chief Johnson has experience in public information, human resources and emergency management. During her time with Pima County, Johnson supervised the Economic Crimes Section of Pima County’s Criminal Investigations Division, and Special Investigations Division, which was responsible for investigating narcotics trafficking.

As one of three bureau chiefs in the department, she worked directly for the elected sheriff and helped guide the agency through the first leadership transition in more than 30 years. Johnson retired from her position at Pima County in December 2017 and joined UH Mānoa in April 2018.

“We are excited to welcome Deputy Chief Johnson to our team,” UH Mānoa Chief Andrew Black said. “This was a brand new position at DPS, and we are so very fortunate to have such an experienced leader to fill this role. We look forward to what the future holds for our department as we continue to serve our community with aloha.”

Although Johnson is new to Oʻahu, her parents lived in Hilo for more than 10 years and she developed a deep love for the state of �鶹��ý through her many visits.

“When I had an opportunity to become a member of the UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety, I was excited to transition into civilian life while still working in a familiar career field,” said Johnson.

More on Deanna Johnson

In addition to her 22 years in law enforcement, Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Northern Arizona University and her master’s in organizational management at University of Phoenix.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa released the (PDF).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report provides information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as crime prevention, fire safety, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures and other matters of importance related to the safety and security of our campus community.

The report is required by federal law and contains policy statements and crime statistics for UH Mānoa. It also contains crime statistics for the three previous calendar years, including reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by UH Mānoa; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

Download the (PDF) at the Department of Public Safety website.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (DPS) introduces a new mobile safety application called Mānoa Guardian. The Mānoa Guardian app is a product of Rave Mobile Safety, a service widely used by college campuses across the country.

The Mānoa Guardian app allows users to create their own virtual safety network of friends, family, roommates and even DPS officers from their smartphone or mobile device. Users can set a “Safety Timer” session, which allows them to notify people they trust, or “Guardians,” of their expected duration at an event, their specific location, and their current safety status. If the timer expires without the user’s deactivation, the app initiates a panic call and automatically notifies UH Mānoa DPS for on-campus response. The app also allows users to communicate with DPS officers via phone or text message, so that officers may respond immediately with the critical information they need.

Although Mānoa Guardian features are available only to those who have a UH Mānoa associated email address, anyone may download the Rave Guardian app, including friends and family. The Mānoa Guardian app is free to download at the Apple App Store for iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads, and Google Play for Android devices.

The UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety truly embraces the concept of community involvement in safety, and the introduction of the Mānoa Guardian app will allow users to create their own safety community, and to get help quickly and easily when they need it most.

For more information about the app, including an informational video, please visit the .

The University of ʻIolani at Mānoa changes its name to the Department of Public Safety to more accurately reflect the comprehensive and holistic nature of the services it provides.

In addition to the core security and emergency management functions described in its former name, the newly named department is charged with broader “public safety” functions including the extensive investigating, documenting and reporting requirements of various federal laws, including the Jeanne Clery Act, Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act. The department also provides active educational outreach presentations on crime awareness and prevention, which will be further enhanced through its recently launched Community-Oriented Policing program.

The name change also accurately reflects the true integration of principles and programs associated with traditional security, law enforcement and emergency management functions. In short, “campus security” and “emergency management” are not two distinct arms of one department, but rather an integrated approach to public safety service delivery.

In the coming weeks, the UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety plans to replace all vehicle graphics, websites and branded materials to reflect its new name. In addition, officers will be issued new and updated uniforms.

To stay up-to-date, follow the UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety on or .

—

The has named Charles Noffsinger as its new chief of . Noffsinger brings with him 24 years of experience on the , where he played a substantive role in helping the department grow from a small security unit to a full-service police department, one of the largest and most respected in the region. He was one of Michigan’s five original police officers in 1990 and subsequently rose through the ranks to deputy chief.

“I’ve been privileged to have had many professional opportunities and feel I have much to offer in a chief’s role,” said Noffsinger. “After spending almost two and half decades with the University of Michigan, I was looking for the right opportunity to continue my career in campus law enforcement. I knew I wanted to remain in a vibrant, diverse, research university setting. I have also always dreamed of living on an island—preferably a warm one. This opening at UH Mānoa was ‘the right place at the right time.’

Noffsinger said his goals for Campus Security and Emergency Management are “In the short term, I hope to establish a cohesive and supportive work environment, one that encourages innovation with an emphasis on customer service. Community-oriented policing will serve as the foundation of our operating philosophy and eventually be reflected in specific programming. Long term, we will continue to explore both the need and the process for becoming a full-service police department serving the Mānoa campus.”

“Since joining the department a month ago, he has already won the confidence of our staff and is proving to be a good fit,” said Deborah Huebler, director of Campus Services. “Under his guidance, the UH Mānoa community can look forward to a security department that is an integral part of campus life.”

Noffsinger has a BA from Michigan State University in criminal justice and a master of liberal studies from Eastern Michigan University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Class #226, as well as the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

Read the for more on Noffsinger.

Officer John D. Trojacek of the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s has been recognized as one of �鶹��ý’s “Top Cops.” The award is presented annually to law enforcement and security professionals who have gone beyond the call of duty and met the highest standards of their field.

Officer Trojacek and other 2013 “Top Cops” were honored at the Law Enforcement and Security Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, October 24 in the Mānoa Grand Ballroom at the .

Officer Trojacek earned his Top Cop nomination through life-saving actions during the First Hawaiian Bank Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics on May 24, 2013. Trojacek was part of a team of UH Mānoa Campus Security officers assisting Honolulu Police Department personnel with traffic control at the event when he noticed a runner lying on the roadway and immediately went to investigate. Trojacek’s competent demeanor was noted by a witness and had a calming effect on other race participants who had gathered at the scene. With the assistance of some of those surrounding individuals, Trojacek—a trained first aid, CPR (cadiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) instructor for Campus Security—performed CPR on the runner until emergency medical services arrived.

Trojajeck patrols the UH Mānoa campus on the graveyard shift.

He is also pursuing a graduate degree at UH Mānoa in . He is also an avid cyclist and Ironman finisher.

—

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s is sponsoring performances of , a nationally recognized sexual assault prevention program that incorporates improvisation, humor, education and audience interaction. The performances are being offered free of charge to all UH Mānoa students, faculty and staff on Tuesday, April 30, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Kuykendall Auditorium.

The hour-and-a-half program is designed for college and military audiences and provides a provocative look at dating, sex and the core issue of consent.

Through improvisation and audience interaction, Sex Signals explores how social pressures, gender stereotypes, unrealistic fantasies and false preconceptions all contribute to the tensions often found in dating. Then, through a semi-improvisational scene, the presenters demonstrate how these and other factors can lead to sexual assault.

The play closes on an empowering note, encouraging the audience to provide solutions for creating safer and healthier interpersonal sexual relationships, and to brainstorm how, as bystanders, they could positively intervene when they witness someone in a vulnerable situation that could lead to sexual violence.

“I had heard excellent reports about Sex Signals, which has been performed on Oʻahu military bases, and April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so when the opportunity came up to bring it to Mānoa, I jumped at the chance,” said Captain and Acting Chief Alberta J.K. Pukahi of UH Mānoa’s Campus Security. “An important part of the work of our security unit is to not only protect those who study and work here, but to educate them on how they are also responsible for keeping themselves safe, as individuals and as a community.”

For more information, read the .

—By Nicole Atienza

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s appointed of its first female captain, Alberta J.K. Pukahi. She is a 25-year veteran of the university’s security office, where for the last eight years Pukahi served as a sergeant and investigated cases of the most sensitive and complex nature, including sexual assaults.

Capt. Pukahi’s immediate focus is on training, operations and rebuilding a team dedicated to service. She oversees a security staff of approximately 40, about 25 percent of them women.

Pukahi came to UH Mānoa in 1987 as a security professional from the private sector and, inspired by the first UH Mānoa commencement ceremony she witnessed, made the commitment to pursue a college degree. “While at Kahuku High School, I was not the most serious student, but the tuition waivers available to university employees gave me the opportunity to go back to school,” says Pukahi.

She earned an associate degree in administration of justice from in 2000, and a bachelor’s in public administration from in 2010.

Pukahi was also recognized as one of .

Read the to learn more about Pukahi.

Sergeant and Senior Investigator Alberta J. K. Pukahi of the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s campus security and emergency management department was recognized as one of �鶹��ý’s Top Cops. The award is presented annually to law enforcement and security professionals who have gone beyond the call of duty and met the highest standards of their field.

A 24-year veteran of Mānoa’s campus security unit, Pukahi led a special task force to prevent further burglaries at cash-handling locations on campus and has worked closely with the Women’s Center, judicial office and student affairs on sexual assault cases.

“Sergeant Pukahi has a special ability to patiently gain the trust of the most reluctant victims and, because of her close rapport with them, solve incidents,” said Campus Security Chief Wayne K. Ogino.

Pukahi serves as a role model and takes special interest in mentoring her fellow female officers, as well as training her male counterparts to be more aware of their role as campus peacemakers and problem-solvers. She has served as an instructor in a variety of programs, including LGBT safe zone awareness, domestic non-violence and first aid.

“It’s all about making a positive change on campus,” said Pukahi.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the . She is an active member of community organizations including the National Coalition Building Institute and the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation.

Pukahi and other 2011 Top Cops will be honored at the Law Enforcement and Security Appreciation Luncheon on October 27, 2011 in the Mānoa Grand Ballroom at the Japanese Cultural Center of �鶹��ý.