KAPA’A — A Kaua’i Police Department honor guard, fellow officers, family and
friends paid final tribute to KPD officer Randall Machado during funeral
services Saturday.
Machado, 34, died Dec. 10 at Queen’s Hospital on O’ahu
from head injuries sustained in a freak skateboarding accident in Kapa’a on
Dec. 5.
KPD Chief George Freitas praised Machado as a top officer in a
eulogy Saturday morning at St. Catherine’s Church in Kapa’a.
In October,
Machado was honored as Kaua’i’s top officer of the year by the Law Enforcement
Appreciation Coalition of Oahu, which represents the private security industry
in Hawai’i.
The organization honors top officers with the military,
federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.
“To me, he earned the
honor (of being named Kauai’s top law enforcement officer) because he was
taking one more step in solving crimes,” Freitas said during an interview prior
to the funeral.
“He investigated crimes, and in a couple of cases, made
sure recovery (of items) occurred.”
Freitas said the recovery of stolen
goods doesn’t always happen. “With most police departments, including this one,
the recovery of stolen properties isn’t a high figure,” he said.
Freitas
said Machado, a nine-year veteran of the police force, was dedicated to his
work.
“We didn’t have a lot of casual conversation,” Freitas said.
“He was always serious and to the point. But he was a professional and my
friend.”
Machado, who was assigned to the Hanalei District, was
recognized for his efforts in fighting crime in that area, Freitas
said.
Between 1997 and 1998, the burglary rate for the area dropped 45
percent due to efforts by Machado and other police officers, said his
supervisor, Lt. Martin Curnan, who heads the Hanalei police
substation.
Machado played a key role in the arrest of a suspect in March
1998 for the burglary of Charo’s Restaurant in Ha’ena.
His efforts led
to the recovery of more than $40,000 in items, said Capt. Harris
Moriguchi.
“In that investigation, he could have chosen to forward (it) to
the investigators, or he could have chosen to dig and dig, investigate and end
up recovering over $40,000 in items,” Freitas.
“That was the type of
officer he was.”
During a traffic stop that same month, Machado made an
arrest and recovered large amounts of marijuana and crystal methamphetamine,
Moriguchi said.
In January of this year, Machado’s investigation of a theft
resulted in an arrest and the recovery of $6,000 in construction equipment,
Moriguchi said.
In the same month, Machado arrested a main suspect involved
in the burglary and the break-in of autos in the Hanalei District.
“I am
hearing that that community (the North Shore) is recognizing those efforts by
Randy,” Freitas said. “
They felt he had a vested interest in that
community.”
Following services, a procession made its way from the church
to the Kapa’a police substation, where a honor guard gave a final salute before
burial at Kaua’i Memorial Gardens.
Machado is survived by his wife,
Stephanie Knight Machado, his son, Randall “RJ” Machado; his parents, Bernard
and Shirley Machado; his sister, Lissa (Peter) Chow; maternal grandfather,
Caesar Rubio and his nephew, Nicholas Chow.
All are from Kapa’a.
Machado was honorably discharged from the United States Navy.
He was born
in Lihu’e.
