Public Safety

Too Many To Handle: Fireworks Tragedy Overwhelms Hawaiʻi’s Medical System Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Too Many To Handle: Fireworks Tragedy Overwhelms Hawaiʻi’s Medical System

More people needed specialized care for burns from the Salt Lake blast than from the Maui wildfires.

Honolulu Fireworks Blast Victims Are Identified Courtesy: Nick Wendrych

Honolulu Fireworks Blast Victims Are Identified

UPDATES: The medical examiner’s office released the names for two of the three women killed and a 20-year-old who died in a separate fireworks incident.

Will Tragedy Change How Hawaiʻi Polices Illegal Fireworks? David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Will Tragedy Change How Hawaiʻi Polices Illegal Fireworks?

A task force created to find and stop shipments has seized more than 100 tons of explosives — but no criminal charges have followed.

‘This Could Happen To Anybody,’ Says Man Who Was At Fatal Fireworks Party Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

‘This Could Happen To Anybody,’ Says Man Who Was At Fatal Fireworks Party

One Salt Lake resident offered a different description of what caused the explosion that killed 3 people.

Honolulu Fireworks Accident Is A Fatal Turn In A Long-Running Problem David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Honolulu Fireworks Accident Is A Fatal Turn In A Long-Running Problem

A 2023 Civil Beat investigation found that authorities often failed to track the origins of illegal caches or build bigger legal cases.

Deadly Fireworks Blast That Rocked Honolulu Fuels Calls For Crackdown Courtesy: Nick Wendrych

Deadly Fireworks Blast That Rocked Honolulu Fuels Calls For Crackdown

UPDATE: At least three women were killed in the New Year’s Eve explosion — and officials warned the toll was likely to rise. But whether the tragedy will be enough to change laws and behavior remains a question.

Here’s How A Second Trump Term May Impact Hawaiʻi Police David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Here’s How A Second Trump Term May Impact Hawaiʻi Police

Police officials are taking a wait-and-see attitude as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office after pledging to be tough on crime. Civil rights advocates are worried about criminal justice reform efforts.

A Year After Her Daughter’s Killing, A Mother Fights For Change Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

A Year After Her Daughter’s Killing, A Mother Fights For Change

After a year of grieving, Theresa Cachuela’s mother is ready to talk about the domestic violence leading up to her daughter’s killing. Her daughter sought help in the weeks before her husband fatally shot her.

Hawaiʻi Woman Whose Disappearance Prompted A Massive Search Is Found Safe AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes/2024

Hawaiʻi Woman Whose Disappearance Prompted A Massive Search Is Found Safe

Hannah Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. LA police said they will wrap up their investigation now that she’s been found safe.

Hawaiʻi Has Money To Police Agriculture Crime, But No Timeline To Start Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaiʻi Has Money To Police Agriculture Crime, But No Timeline To Start

Despite the high-profile killing of an Oʻahu rancher, local law enforcement don’t receive any specialized training in agricultural crime.