Honolulu's police department is moving to close hundreds of open officer positions, which is good news for public safety if the hiring push actually works.

• New chief David Lazar wants faster hiring, stronger recruitment, and more technology on patrol.
• Hundreds of jobs remain empty across the department.
• City council member Andrea Tupola says keeping veteran officers matters as much as hiring new ones, and wants retention bonuses.
• The police union agrees, arguing experienced officers need to stay to train the next group.
• Lazar is meeting officers at every level and hopes to use drones as first responders within a year.

Outlook: The test will be whether vacancy numbers actually fall over the coming year.