Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha announced Wednesday that Maj. Ryan Borges will not be promoted to assistant chief.
Kealoha said in a written statement issued through a spokeswoman that Borges voluntarily withdrew his name from consideration after serious questions were raised about his suitability for the position.

Borges was a controversial choice for assistant police given his history of domestic violence, harassment and intimidation. He’s also now under an internal affairs investigation for soliciting community support for his promotion.
On Tuesday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell met with Kealoha about the decision to promote Borges. A spokesman for the mayor issued a statement after the meeting that said Caldwell had “strong concerns” about Borges, and that domestic violence has no place in the police force.
Here’s Kealoha’s full statement about Borges turning down the promotion:
“I spoke to Major Borges this morning, and he has decided not to accept the upcoming promotion. He said that he does not want the recent controversy to continue to be a disruption and detract from the positive work that the department does.
“Although I still believe that Major Borges would make an excellent assistant chief, I respect and understand his choice. My staff and I will be working with the city Department of Human Resources Division to discuss the process of selecting the next assistant chief.”
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About the Author
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Nick Grube is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at nick@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @nickgrube. You can also reach him by phone at 808-377-0246.