HONOLULU — In 40 years with the Honolulu Police Department, Lee Donohue distinguished himself as a leader whose philosophy on law enforcement was rooted in community ties as deep as they were broad.
Donohue, 80, died Sunday at Straub Medical Center following an extended illness.
“On behalf of the officers and civilian employees of the Honolulu Police Department, I extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the Donohue family,” said HPD chief Arthur “Joe” Logan. “Chief Donohue was known as a ‘cop’s cop’ and for being a strong, decisive leader. We will miss him and are blessed to have had a very wonderful and passionate chief.”
Born and raised in Honolulu, Donohue joined the department in 1964 and worked his way up the ranks, primarily in patrol and field operations. In 1998, he succeeded Michael Nakamura to become Honolulu’s eighth chief of police. He retired in 2004 to focus on his numerous community projects and initiatives, including the Police Activities League program, Kick Start Karate.
As chief, Donohue led the department to successful accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, just the 14th major police department in the country to earn the distinction.
He was also instrumental in improving safety by equipping HPD officers with bullet-resistant vests, better flashlights for night duty, improved radios and computer equipment, and less-lethal weapons for use in tactical situations involving resisting criminal suspects.
Donohue proved effective at addressing HPD’s long-standing staffing issues. When he took control, the department had approximately 400 vacant positions. When he retired, there were 250 vacant positions, with 220 recruits already in the pipeline.
Building on Nakamura’s community policing programs, Donohue introduced weed-and-seed programs in downtown Honolulu, Kalihi and Waipahu.
Donohue’s time as chief was not without controversy, including scandals involving civilian workers in the department’s vehicle maintenance section receiving kickbacks from vendors and two high-ranking HPD officials diverting funds intended for prisoner meals to buy expensive meals for officers and officials.
After retirement, Donohue turned his attention to the martial arts school he founded, American Karate Kai, and other nonprofit organizations he started, including the Honolulu Police Community Foundation.
In 2010, Donohue was selected to serve the remaining six months of Charles Djou’s term on the Honolulu City Council. He also served as director of security for Securitas Security Services.
Donohue is survived by his wife, Lucille; children Leanne Donohue-Williams, Darlynn Donohue and Lee Jr.; eight grandchildren and 14 -great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Steven and one great-grandchild.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.