Rickard

LAHAINA – There is something about a Lahainaluna man. Upright, honest, hardworking and family-oriented, Lahaina grown men are those that are of the people, by the people and for the people. This is what Dean Rickard is all about.

Last week, before some 200 county officials – including Mayor Alan Arakawa, fellow police officers, family and friends – Rickard was sworn in as deputy chief of the Maui County Police Department.

The ceremony was held at the new Kihei Police Station and featured the installation of Tivoli Faaumu as police chief to replace Gary Yabuta.

Rickard, born and raised in Lahaina and the oldest of Pikake and Scotty Rickard’s three sons, has worked for the Maui Police Department for over 27 years after graduating from Chadron State College in Nebraska with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

During that period, he moved up the chain of command of MPD and worked most recently in the Operations Department before being appointed deputy chief.

Rickard graduated from Lahainaluna High School in 1983 and was a MIL All-Star offensive lineman for the football champion Lunas. He continued playing at the collegiate level at Chadron State and then joined the Lahainaluna coaching staff upon his return to his hometown.

Coach Dean has been a fixture on the Luna sideline since then, as the program continues as the top-rated Division II team in the state.

“I was deeply influenced by a number of Maui County police officers that were my coaches during my playing days at Lahainaluna. They made a big difference in my life, and I’m sure in the lives of many of my teammates,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside Tivoli (Faaumu) to reconnect with the community and try to defuse the negative stigma that the department has developed recently. We want to change all that to make the Maui Police Department more approachable, more personable.

“Things are changing so quickly with technology advancements, but we still want to establish more faith and trust in the police department. Maui County is a small place, and we need the community to be our eyes and ears. We want to go back to the roots and make the connection with the community stronger. We are our own worst critics and will always be evaluating what we do,” he concluded.

Indeed, Rickard – along with his wife, Stephanie; daughters Tekiri and Teani; son Teanu; and grandson Kiwa – represent the richness and integrity of Lahaina life.

There is a beautiful two-story home overlooking a gulch and beyond to the channel waters between Maui and Lanai, nestled in the warm embrace of the community. There is also the bond of family ties and hometown culture that form the integrity of the populace. Dean Rickard represents all of this.