THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
If you were following the news closely last week, you may have noticed that former SFPD Assistant Chief David Lazar, who left the force last year, has taken a new job as Chief of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD). But what may seem at first to be a plum job in an island paradise may actually be his biggest challenge yet.
As it turns out, HPD has a culture of impunity and corruption that’s straight out of a James Ellroy novel, and would make San Francisco’s self-styled police watchdogs blanch.
For instance, if you’ve ever visited or lived in Honolulu and ever interacted with police you may have noticed something right off the bat that can seem well, unusual. Often, if you see a cop driving down the street, they’re not in a regulation patrol car, but what looks like a personal vehicle with a police light bar strapped to the roof.
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
As it turns out, regular beat cops with enough seniority can use their personal vehicles on the job and have the city subsidize their vehicle expenses as well. The policy has been around for decades, but was formalized in 2015.
The rationale for the policy is that the City and County of Honolulu, aka the Island of Oahu, is in the middle of the Pacific, and fleet car orders can take a long time to be fulfilled. Sounds logical enough, but for comparison, the Guam police department has no such policy.
This might seem like a minor thing, but it’s also emblematic of the problem. Honolulu Civil Beat maintains an archive of its police corruption stories. The most recent epic scandal revolved around former Chief Louis Kealoha, who, with his wife, presided over a massive amount of bank and other fraud, which feds were able to crack open when they framed their own relative for stealing a mailbox.
But the legacy of corruption at HPD goes back much further. In the 1980s, Honolulu city prosecutor Charles Marsland went on an epic campaign against alleged organized crime figure Larry Mehau, who, in addition to being a political fixer for generations and a former police officer, may well have brought the crystal meth epidemic to America.
Lazar was picked for the job over two other candidates, one being Mike Lambert, a former HPD Major (equivalent to a Commander at SFPD) who had served as Director of the State Department of Law Enforcement — in other words, the closest you can get to a real-life Steve McGarrett. Lambert has stepped down from that job and is returning to HPD anyway, because he wants to get a full pension. And he’s turned down an offer to serve as deputy chief.
Lazar’s job at HPD comes after he failed to win the appointment as San Mateo County Sheriff, a position with its own problematic legacies. As it turns out, his wife, Julie, is a native Hawaiian with an extended family network in the state. He may need to rely on it.
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Top News
DRUGS
S.F. AIDS Foundation defies Mayor Lurie’s ban, hands out crack pipes and fentanyl foil in Bayview
by Erica Sandberg
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF), a nonprofit community health organization that combines harm reduction strategies with a social justice focus, appears to be violating a citywide mandate launched by Mayor Daniel Lurie.
EDUCATION
SFUSD adultism workshop labels educators as ‘oppressors’
Public disclosure of the district’s “Liberated Ethnic Studies” materials continues to uncover deeply controversial teachings.
by Liz Le
RIGHT STUFF
Lost Boat Ceremony aboard the USS Pampanito
Memorial Day message: ‘Stand up for our nation’s ideals, even when it’s hard.’
by Erica Sandberg
Quote of the week
“But Trump was not swayed, Cornyn was challenged, and he became bait in the great chum bucket that is Trump-era Republican politics.”
— John Zipperer on Congressional Republican pushback over housing policy, in “The thin red line.”
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
POLITICS
The thin red line
Did the president just sacrifice his own agenda when he took down members of his own party?
by John Zipperer
A&E
Book review: ‘Amplify! My Fight for Asian America’ by Dion Lim
A look behind the headlines of anti-Asian hate and violence
by Elizabeth Statmore
CITY HALL
City business goes on during holiday week
‘Budget crunch and scandals drive more cuts and cancellations, plus a Friday confab for small business.
by Mike Ege
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EVENTS
Out and about May 28–June 2, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
Well, it’s unofficially summer now with Memorial Day behind us, and there is a lot going on from films to music, street festivals, and more. Read on.
Thursday, May 28
The 2026 S.F. Documentary Festival (DocFest) opens tonight with the “part road movie, part communal portrait” Summer Tour with lotsa Dead music, Punkie, shot in black-and-white about stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live star Punkie Johnson, and two additional films, including one about the band NOFX, which will also be available for a free meet-and-greet. Films in over 20 categories will be screened and are also available for virtual viewing. Visit the links for details and ticketing.
Friday, May 29
Check out The Glance: A Laptopera, an immersive opera “that reimagines the Orpheus myth for laptop orchestra and live voices” in a contemporary retelling of “Orphea” and Eurydice in a world of constant surveillance that blends voice, technology, and movement, inviting audiences to explore “surveillance, control, care and the fragile nature of trust in our technological age.” Through Sunday at the ODC’s B. Way Theater. Tickets from $25.
Funny person, actor, and musician Margaret Cho is on tour and will stop by her hometown to perform Margaret Cho: Choligarchy. 9:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts. Tickets from $65.
In L’Chaim America!, there are no sets, props, or costumes, but just actors in multiple roles telling stories that range from an Iranian Thanksgiving on the midwestern plains to a naturalization ceremony in an American suburb. 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Tickets: $40 (includes dinner).
Saturday, May 30
A small ensemble of musicians from the San Francisco Symphony will perform a chamber music community concert in an intimate setting. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Anza Branch Library. Free.
Bundle up brewski lovers, this one’s for you: Parks4All Brewfest, benefiting the Parks Conservatory and featuring lotsa breweries, food trucks, local merchant booths, live music, lawn games, and more in a setting that can’t be beat. Kiddos and puppers are welcome, but I’d recommend food tasting only for them. Noon to 4 p.m. at the Civil War Parade Ground in the Presidio. Tickets from $60.
This sounds like so much fun: an afternoon of music and community at the eighth annual S.F. Porchfest with over 100 concerts on porches, stoops, and other venues in the Mission. Visit the link for locations and lineups. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
Sunday, May 31
Chinatown is always worth a visit, and at today’s Cultural Festival in Chinatown, you’ll find even more to enjoy from cultural activities and lessons in calligraphy and painting; lion dancing, kung fu, and music performances; great food; and more, including Chinese medicine consultations. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Grant Avenue.
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