To: Mayor Kimo Alameda, Hawai‘i Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz, Hawaii County Council and the Department of Health

We, the undersigned residents and supporters of Hilo, demand that the temporary morgue storage containers remain at Hilo Benioff Medical Center (HBMC) until a dedicated county morgue is constructed.

The decision to relocate these containers to police-controlled property is unacceptable and raises serious ethical and transparency concerns.

Why This Matters:
Hospitals, Not Police, Should Handle the Deceased – Medical professionals, not law enforcement, should oversee body storage and forensic care.
The Police Chief is Also the Coroner—This is a Conflict of Interest – Law enforcement should not have full control over cause-of-death rulings and body storage with no independent oversight.
No Justification for Police-Controlled Morgue Storage – If this is truly about space, storage should remain at HBMC until a proper county morgue is built.
What We Demand:
The morgue containers must stay at HBMC under medical supervision.
No police control over civilian post-mortem care.
Full transparency about why this move is happening and what is driving the increase in unclaimed bodies.
This is a matter of public trust, dignity, and transparency. We will not allow law enforcement to take over morgue functions without oversight.