Public Safety
Police and Fire & Public Safety account for ~$194.6M of the FY27 adopted budget and 1,081 FTEs — about 32% of the county workforce. Both departments are navigating post-wildfire demands while grappling with structural staffing challenges.
Maui Police Department
FY27 Budget: $117.6M (+11.6% vs FY26)
Officers per 1,000 Residents
1.91
Maui
2.8
FBI National Avg
(2019 Crime in the U.S.)
Maui is 32% belowthe national staffing benchmark — adding only 5 positions in FY27. Note: Maui's figure uses de facto population (includes visitors); the FBI benchmark uses resident population, so the gap may be overstated.
Overtime & Premium Pay
+21.1% in one year (+$1.5M)
Driven partly by wildfire response; FEMA reimbursement requested
Bureau Restructuring FY27
| Bureau | FY26 | FY27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniformed Services | 305.3 | 310.3 | +5 |
| Investigative Services | 112 | 119 | +7 |
| Organizational Development Brand-new bureau created FY27 | 0 | 40 | +40 |
| Technical & Support Services Major restructuring — positions moved to other bureaus | 135 | 92 | -43 |
| Administration | 32 | 28 | -4 |
Fire & Public Safety
FY27 Budget: $77.0M (+1.5% vs FY26)
53% apparent surge in overtime/premium pay — includes accounting reclassification of Holiday Pay
Base wages
-6.8%
$43.9M → $40.9M
Overtime & Premium
+53.3%
$7.7M → $11.8M
Overtime share of payroll
22%
of total fire payroll
Base wages fell 6.8% while overtime rose 53% — a pattern suggesting the department is covering vacancies and extraordinary demand (wildfire, ocean rescues) through overtime rather than new hires.
⚠ Part of this increase reflects reclassification of Holiday Pay from base wages to premium pay (per 050-08 budget notes) — an accounting change, not new cost. The true overtime cost increase is smaller; structural understaffing is a secondary driver.
Fire/Rescue Operations
325
positions
Ocean Safety
102
positions (+2.5 new)
Fire Prevention
23
positions
Training
17
positions
Administration
25
positions