HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday that he has appointed Edmund “Fred” Hyun to serve as the governor’s special master to assist in overseeing the state Department of Public Safety.
HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday that he has appointed Edmund “Fred” Hyun to serve as the governor’s special master to assist in overseeing the state Department of Public Safety.
Hyun is the current chair of the Hawai‘i Paroling Authority. Effective immediately and through the month of September, he will serve as special master of DPS. He will continue in his position as chair of the Hawi‘i Paroling Authority while serving as the special master.
“Managing our overcrowded, aging, chronically-understaffed correctional facilities is one of the toughest jobs in the state,” sid Ige.
”The COVID-19 pandemic makes the job even more difficult. I have directed Fred to conduct a top-to-bottom assessment of the Department of Public Safety and to work with Deputy Director Maria Cook to implement any needed changes to enable it to operate more effectively,” said Ige.
Hyun will assess the operations of the administration, corrections and law-enforcement divisions, including strengths and weaknesses. He is also tasked with investigating the concerns the workers’ unions raised about the department’s COVID-19 response. He will make recommendations to address any areas of concern and prioritize potential mitigation measures.
“I appreciate the trust and confidence bestowed on me by Gov. Ige. I believe in PSD’s mission and look forward to working with everyone in the PSD ‘ohana,” said Hyun.
