Kaua‘i Deputy Police Chief Resigns For Personal Reasons

Kaua‘i Deputy Police Chief Stan Olsen has resigned Tuesday, July 26, according to a report by Hawai‘i News Now. However, the county told Kaua’i Now that his resignation will be effective on August 26, 2022.

His resignation is for personal reasons, not because of an incident earlier this year at a Kaua‘i airport, according to the Kaua‘i Police Department.

Olsen came under criticism after he was stopped in April by the Transportation Security Administration when his department-issued gun was found in his carry-on while going through security at Līhuʿe Airport to catch a flight to the mainland for a personal matter. The firearm was held for safekeeping and released to the Kauaʿi Police Department. No citation or arrest was made.

The TSA said in April that it would levy a civil penalty against Olsen, according to a story from Honolulu Civil Beat.

“The deputy’s resignation is not related to the incident at the airport,” the police department told Kaua‘i Now on Wednesday, July 27. “He has a son and daughter-in-law who are both in wheelchairs and from time to time they require extra assistance. Therefore, while he had hoped to have a longer tenure with KPD, he and his wife decided that their family needs come first.”

Olsen was appointed as deputy chief in August 2021. The position had been vacant since 2019 when he was hired. Before coming to Kaua‘i, Olsen worked with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, retiring in 2007 after more than 35 years with the department. He also served as a Nevada state senator in 2010.