Benjamin Moszkowicz was appointed Chief of the Hawai‘i Police Department on January 17, 2023. He leads the law enforcement agency primarily responsible for the over 4,000 square miles of the ‘Big Island’ of Hawai’i and oversees 496 sworn personnel and 162 professional police staff members.
Before coming to Hawai‘i Island, Chief Moszkowicz worked for the Honolulu Police Department, where he most recently served as a Major in the Traffic Division. During his 22-year tenure in Honolulu, he worked in every bureau in the department with assignments ranging from patrol commander to overseeing the 60-member Police Mountain Bike Team to managing the Information Technology, Human Resources, and Criminal Investigations Divisions.
In addition to being a certified Drug Recognition Expert and Instructor, Chief Moszkowicz was honored with the first-ever Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Hawai‘i Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless dedication to preventing impaired driving through education and enforcement.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, Chief Moszkowicz holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration with a specialization in Justice Administration from the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu, and a Master of Science Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego.
His professional goals include fully staffing the department’s 658 full-time positions, forming a Wellness Unit to help department staff and their families deal with the stresses of modern day policing, and earning a degree from Gonzaga University, where he is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies.
What motivated you to be a LEPSL ambassador?
I credit the LEPSL program with helping to solidify my thoughts and vision of modern police administration. I came to the program with 20 years of experience as an officer and supervisor but no real vision of what it took to lead an entire agency. Now that I have taken that next step, I feel responsible for sharing what I’ve learned and encouraging others to continue their academic journeys.
Why did you choose the LEPSL program? What made LEPSL stand out in comparison to other schools/programs?
While the price was certainly a competitive factor, I chose the LEPSL program because of its flexibility and 100% online asynchronous format. Even with the responsibilities of being a full-time police supervisor and parent, I could still find the time to get my schoolwork done during evenings, weekends, and holidays. The LEPSL program certainly stands out in the field because of its law enforcement-centric cohort model, which allows students to develop relationships with peers worldwide.
What were your concerns about starting a graduate program?
I was worried about going back to school after a 20-year break, that I would not be able to contribute to the class discussions at a high enough level. I was also concerned about whether I would have time in my schedule to get the work done.
How did the LEPSL program help you achieve your career goals?
The integrative capstone project helped reinforce the four LEPSL program learning outcomes. Simply put, the LEPSL program helped me to realize that throughout the program, I had been slowly gaining the insight and ability to lead, manage, and inspire an entire police department.
What advice would you share with prospective LEPSL applicants?
You can do this! Don’t be afraid to go back to school. Especially in the LEPSL program, you will be surrounded and supported by other public safety professionals from around the world who can’t wait to share their thoughts and ideas about modern policing.
Also, while finding time to complete schoolwork is undoubtedly important, don’t underestimate your creativity. I did homework, watched videos, took notes, and wrote papers on my lunch breaks during my kids’ sports practices, evenings, and weekends.
What was your favorite part of the LEPSL program?
My favorite part of the program was the capstone project. I expected it to be a lot of work and was worried that taking an extra class would affect my ability to finish it. However, the content and process were simple to understand, and the experience of looking back through my coursework was transformational. It helped me realize how far I had come in such a short time and to gain the confidence I needed to compete for a position as a department leader.
What were you balancing while participating in the LEPSL program?
During the LEPSL program, I was balancing full-time work as a division commander (working 50-60 or more hours per week and being responsible for between 50-100 employees at times), being married, and having two EXTREMELY active kids (11 and 13, each playing multiple sports with full practice and game schedules).
How did you stay motivated throughout the program in the face of competing priorities in your life?
Initially, I saw the LEPSL program as something I needed to do to further my career. As I went through the journey, I realized that I began to enjoy the classes, and the subjects we talked about started to transform my views on my work every day.
LEPSL Graduating Class:
2021