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Three Former Supervisors Gave References for Honolulu Investigator

A former San Francisco police officer working for Honolulu’s prosecutor surrendered his California law enforcement certification after leaving the department during an internal investigation.

Owen Esparza

September 18, 20261 min read

Honolulu courthouse facade - illustration, Jake Team LLC

Riley Bandy, a former San Francisco police officer, was hired as an investigator for Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm before surrendering his California law enforcement certification in November 2024. Pleasanton is about 29 miles north of Saratoga.

The certification action prevents Bandy from serving as a police officer in California, according to an investigative report. The inquiry followed questions from a family that contacted the San Francisco Police Department in November 2021 about how Bandy handled a missing-person matter involving their adult daughter, who had an intellectual disability. Bandy left the department without taking part in the internal investigation.

The report said he denied wrongdoing.

Special counsel Christine Denton said the prosecutor’s office was unaware of the inquiry and misconduct determination until Civil Beat raised questions.

During hiring, Bandy was asked whether he knew of any reason he could not carry out law enforcement responsibilities completely, and he said no. Denton said the review used positive recommendations from three former supervisors, two of them from San Francisco, rather than examining his personnel files.

The finding may affect Bandy’s credibility as a potential prosecution witness. Honolulu defense attorney Christian Enright said lawyers can challenge an investigator’s background in court and pursue evidence that could benefit the defense concerning earlier conduct. Bandy did not answer requests for comment. The available source did not provide more information about the missing-person matter.

Source: eastbaytimes.com.

Sources

eastbaytimes.com

Former California officer hired as Honolulu prosecutor’s investigator (pleasantonca.city)

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Owen Esparza

Owen Esparza reports on local business, new openings, and economic development in Saratoga.

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