Kona Crime Prevention Committee on Wednesday honored the June Officer of the Month, Kona Patrol Officer Jeremy (Scotty) Lewis.   They also recognized the long service and special brand of aloha brought to the job by two reserve police officers, Uncle Donna Kuali’i and John Basque.  The luncheon was at Huggo’s Restaurant.

 

Lewis, who was also the April Officer of the month, was singled out for his dedication in tracking down two women accused of more than 50 financial crimes around the island.  His work led to their arrest and conviction.

Uncle Donna Kuali’i and John Basque both were born and raised in Hilo and graduated from Hilo High.  They were in the same  Reserve Officer Training Class in 1957.  Both eventually ended up in Kona,  and gave decades of volunteer service to the County of Hawaii and its citizens.  Uncle Donna’s “real” job was with Aloha Airlines, and then he became a greeter at Royal Kona Resort.  His face and presence are known throughout Kona.  John Basque also had an airline career, with Hawaiian Airlines.

The next Officer of the Month luncheon for West Hawaii will be Wednesday, July 6.  The public is always invited to recognize the work of the Hawaii Island police.  For more information about Kona Crime Prevention Committee or for reservations to attend the next luncheon, call 443-7708.

 

On February 1, 2011, Kona Patrol Officer Jeremy Scott Lewis (Scotty), on a temporary assignment to the Area II Special Enforcement Unit, began a follow-up investigation on a residential burglary  in Captain Cook. Taken in the burglary were two laptop computers and two credit cards. Officer Lewis re-contacted the victim and obtained a list of transactions showing that the credit card had been used at various businesses in Kona, Waikaloa, Honokaa, Hilo and Puna.

At the Kona Safeway, Officer Lewis learned from employees that one of the credit cards had been used by two females. Safeway employees were suspicious of the females and had written down the license plate number of the vehicle they drove. Based on a registered owner check, Lewis came up with two possible suspects and prepared photo lineups. Store employees positively identified the responsible females from the lineups.

Officer Lewis continued his investigation through Kona and Waikaloa. He gathered evidence including time sensitive videos that corroborated the offenses. He was able to determine that these two females were responsible for 49 other property crimes throughout the island. An Island Wide APB was initiated and on February 16, 2011, the two suspects were apprehended in Hilo. Hilo.  Detectives subsequently charged the two females with multiple felony financial crimes.

Officer Lewis was quick to point out that he was assisted by other officers and detectives once the suspects were identified. The Kona Crime Prevention Committee recognizes that the identifying of the suspects was a direct result of Officer Lewis’s diligent and time consuming investigation and has selected Officer Jeremy Scotty Lewis as the June 2011 Officer of the Month.

The group will also  honor  two very special Living Legends of Aloha, retired Reserve Officers John Basque who served over 53 years in the Police Reserve Program and Uncle Donna Kualii who served 43 years in the Police Reserve Program.