Molokai police leaders asked the Maui County Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee to fund an $18 million renovation of the decommissioned Hawaii National Guard armory to serve as a temporary Molokai Police Department headquarters.

The request came from Captain Jamie Winfrey, who told the committee the department has operated from an aging facility since 1979 that “sits in the flood zone” and requires frequent sandbagging, drainage and ad hoc mitigation. “This 18,000,000 investment is more than just building. It's about giving our officers the tools to keep Molokai safe today,” Captain Winfrey said during his testimony.

Why it matters: Council members and many Molokai speakers said the station’s repeated flooding and failing systems — including air-conditioning and plumbing problems that Officer Emmanuel Bello described for the committee — hamper response, daily operations and officer safety. Bello, the community police officer, said the station’s holding cells do not have operable faucets and the air conditioning “often freezes over.” He said relocating “as soon as possible” is the best solution to resolve those issues.

Officers also described operational and emergency planning reasons for the move. Detective Ikaika Bishaw Jowaril said the armory would give the department about 5,200 square feet of concrete-and-steel space — larger than the existing 1,700-square-foot station — and secure storage already onsite. “There is a safe that is 15 feet by 7 feet long that can safeguard the entire whatever we have in stock right now,” he told the committee, noting the difficulty of evacuating 3,100 evidence items during past tsunami evacuations.

Committee members asked whether the $18 million request covers design, permitting and construction phases. Officers said negotiations with the state and the National Guard were underway and that some renovation work could begin sooner than building a new station, but precise phasing and how much of the $18 million would be requested in this fiscal year were not specified in testimony.

The proposal included a 25-year lease for the armory; several testifiers emphasized that would be a temporary solution and that a permanent, purpose-built station would still be a long-term goal. “This is a strong foundation, not the final chapter,” Captain Winfrey said.

Other funding requests and community priorities: Officers and community members also asked for funds for youth programming and patrol capacity. Officer Emmanuel Bello specifically requested $20,000 to support a Molokai youth leadership (cadet) program. Community testifiers urged additional recurring resources for policing capacity; one resident asked the committee to consider “an extra million” to allow for more beats on the island to increase patrol coverage.

What’s next: Committee members said they would check with Police Department leadership and the county administration on the status of lease negotiations and detailed project budgets. No formal vote was taken during the hearing.