Press releases, expert commentary and media resources from the Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI), Honolulu. Journalists: see the press kit and the media contact below. Institutional milestones are on the media page.
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-01, “Island-State Security: Why Mainstream Frameworks Fail Pacific and Coastal Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers why public safety, emergency management and security frameworks built for continents fail island communities, and five structural conditions. It is free to read and download. Read WP-01
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-02, “Insider Threat Assessment Framework for Island Organizations,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers an insider threat assessment framework for island organizations where standard CERT and DHS models assume scale and anonymity they lack. It is free to read and download. Read WP-02
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-03, “Island Emergency Management: A Practitioner Framework,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers an island emergency management framework built from four failures in the Lahaina wildfire response, replacing continental FEMA assumptions. It is free to read and download. Read WP-03
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-04, “Campus Safety for Geographically Isolated Institutions,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers campus safety redesigned for island and isolated institutions where police response takes far longer than standard active threat protocols assume. It is free to read and download. Read WP-04
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-05, “Law Enforcement Workforce Policy in Island Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers why island and high cost-of-living police agencies stay understaffed despite competitive nominal pay, and the retention pay design that works. It is free to read and download. Read WP-05
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-06, “Supply Chain Security and Community Resilience in Island Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers supply chain singularity, the island condition where isolation removes supply redundancy, and a policy framework for public safety agencies. It is free to read and download. Read WP-06
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-07, “Community Policing in Pacific Island Jurisdictions,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers community policing for Pacific Island jurisdictions that treats officer-community embeddedness as an asset rather than a liability. It is free to read and download. Read WP-07
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-08, “Public Safety Workforce Development in Island Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers a workforce development framework for island public safety agencies covering training access, recruitment, retention and wellness. It is free to read and download. Read WP-08
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-09, “At-Risk Youth and Juvenile Justice in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers why evidence-based juvenile justice interventions stay underused for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth, and reforms to close it. It is free to read and download. Read WP-09
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-10, “Democratic Resilience in Pacific Island Nations,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers the governance capacity gaps that expose Pacific Island governments to external pressure, and policies that strengthen democratic resilience. It is free to read and download. Read WP-10
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-11, “AI Governance and Public Safety Technology in Island Communities,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers an AI governance framework for public safety tools used in small island and Pacific Islander communities, where mainland bias checks fall short. It is free to read and download. Read WP-11
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published WP-12, “Corporate Security and ESG Risk Policy for Island Operations,” a white paper in the ISPI White Paper Series. The paper covers corporate security and ESG framework gaps for companies operating in island environments, and an island-specific duty of care approach. It is free to read and download. Read WP-12
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-01, “Housing Affordability and Public Safety in Hawaii: An Island Framework,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers how Hawaii's housing affordability crisis drives its public safety workforce shortage, and which island-specific policy levers address it. It is free to read and download. Read HI-01
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-02, “Homelessness and Public Safety in Honolulu: An Island Framework,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers a policy framework for homelessness and public safety in Honolulu, where continental dispersal strategies are not available on an island. It is free to read and download. Read HI-02
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-03, “Law Enforcement Workforce Policy in Hawaii: HPD Staffing Crisis Analysis,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers the compensation gap behind HPD's chronic officer vacancies and lateral transfers to the mainland, and which retention steps work best. It is free to read and download. Read HI-03
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-04, “Maui Recovery and Emergency Management Reform: Three Years After Lahaina,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers an assessment of whether Hawaii's emergency management frameworks have been reformed since the 2023 Lahaina wildfire, and the four framework failures that remain. It is free to read and download. Read HI-04
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-05, “Federal Funding Uncertainty and Island Resilience in Hawaii,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers why federal funding uncertainty hits Hawaii's public safety and emergency programs harder than continental states, and how to reduce it. It is free to read and download. Read HI-05
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-06, “Infrastructure Deficit and Island Resilience in Hawaii,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers why Hawaii's infrastructure deficit matters more for emergency resilience on islands, and which investments close the gaps first. It is free to read and download. Read HI-06
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-07, “Native Hawaiian Rights and DHHL Policy: Public Safety Implications,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers how Native Hawaiian land rights and the DHHL waitlist intersect with housing, community conditions and public safety in Hawaii. It is free to read and download. Read HI-07
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-08, “Climate Resilience and Emergency Response in Hawaii,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers how climate change compounds Hawaii's island emergency management vulnerabilities, with a climate-integrated framework for agencies. It is free to read and download. Read HI-08
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-09, “Aging Population and Healthcare Infrastructure in Hawaii: Emergency Preparedness Implications,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers the emergency preparedness, healthcare insider threat and workforce issues Hawaii's aging population raises on islands. It is free to read and download. Read HI-09
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published HI-10, “AI Governance and Public Safety Technology in Hawaii,” a Hawaii policy research paper in the ISPI Hawaii Policy Research Series. The paper covers the AI governance gaps Hawaii's 2026 AI measures left open for public safety tools and their calibration for Native Hawaiian communities. It is free to read and download. Read HI-10
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-01, “Insider Threat Programs for Small Island Organizations,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers why insider threat programs built for large organizations fail small island agencies, and a proportionate program for small teams. It is free to read and download. Read PB-01
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-02, “Campus Safety Policy Brief — Island Universities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers campus safety for Hawaii and Pacific universities, where police response times break standard active shooter protocol assumptions. It is free to read and download. Read PB-02
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-03, “Public Safety Policy in U.S. Pacific Territories,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers public safety policy for Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI, where federal frameworks and population-based grants miss island needs. It is free to read and download. Read PB-03
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-04, “Human Trafficking and Exploitation Policy in Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers how tourism-dependent island economies create conditions human trafficking networks exploit, and port and border policy responses. It is free to read and download. Read PB-04
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-05, “Supply Chain Security Policy Brief — Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers supply chain security for island communities that depend on maritime shipping for most of their food, and resilience steps for agencies. It is free to read and download. Read PB-05
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-06, “Digital Insider Threat in Island Organizations,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers digital insider threat in small island organizations where IT staff cannot split privileged access, and compensating controls. It is free to read and download. Read PB-06
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-07, “Supply Chain Insider Risk at Island Ports,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers insider threat in island port operations, from cargo diversion to manifest manipulation, and controls for close-knit workforces. It is free to read and download. Read PB-07
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-08, “Insider Threat in Pacific Government Agencies,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers insider threat programs for Pacific Island government agencies whose staff cover finance, HR and IT at once, and what works at that scale. It is free to read and download. Read PB-08
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-09, “Insider Threat in Island Healthcare Organizations,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers behavioral threat assessment and access control for island hospitals, where the sole medical provider cannot simply remove staff. It is free to read and download. Read PB-09
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-10, “Continuity of Operations Planning for Island Government Agencies,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers continuity of operations (COOP) for island government agencies that cannot relocate off-island, built on shelter-in-place and digital continuity. It is free to read and download. Read PB-10
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-11, “Hurricane Emergency Management in Pacific Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers hurricane preparedness for Hawaii and Pacific territories decades after Iniki, the planning gaps for a direct Oahu strike, and fixes. It is free to read and download. Read PB-11
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-12, “Hawaii Law Enforcement Recruitment Crisis — Policy Response,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers why HPD and Hawaii county police recruitment shortfalls are a structural compensation problem, and the island-specific policy fixes. It is free to read and download. Read PB-12
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-13, “Training Gap in Island Law Enforcement Agencies,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers how distance and travel costs keep island officers from specialized training, how the gap compounds over careers, and what helps. It is free to read and download. Read PB-13
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-14, “K-12 School Safety in Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers K-12 school safety in rural Hawaii and Pacific territories, where long police response times make standard protocols inadequate. It is free to read and download. Read PB-14
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-15, “Government Building Security in Pacific Island Jurisdictions,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers physical security for small island government buildings that house several branches under one roof, and standards that fit. It is free to read and download. Read PB-15
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-16, “Community Policing in Pacific Island Jurisdictions — Policy Brief,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers community policing recalibrated for small Pacific Island jurisdictions where officers and residents share the same social networks. It is free to read and download. Read PB-16
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-17, “Juvenile Justice Reform in Pacific Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers juvenile justice alternatives, from diversion to community supervision, for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth in Hawaii. It is free to read and download. Read PB-17
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-18, “Democratic Resilience in Small Island States — Policy Brief,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers why institutional technical capacity underpins democratic resilience in Pacific Island nations facing outside pressure, and how to build it. It is free to read and download. Read PB-18
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published PB-19, “Public Health Emergency Infrastructure in Island Communities,” a policy brief in the ISPI Policy Brief Series. The brief covers public health emergency surge capacity and medical supply resilience for island communities that rely on a single hospital. It is free to read and download. Read PB-19
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-01, “Maui Wildfire Emergency Management Analysis,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers what the 2023 Maui wildfire reveals about emergency management policy for island communities, three years on. It is free to read and download. Read CM-01
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-02, “First Responder Mental Health in Island Communities,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers why mainland mental health safety nets do not reach first responders in island communities, and what island agencies need. It is free to read and download. Read CM-02
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-03, “Youth ChalleNGe Academy Policy Commentary,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers what the Youth ChalleNGe quasi-military residential model teaches about at-risk youth intervention policy in Hawaii. It is free to read and download. Read CM-03
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-04, “AI and Public Safety in Island Communities,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers why AI public safety tools trained on mainland data need calibration for Pacific Islander and island communities. It is free to read and download. Read CM-04
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-05, “Corporate Security and ESG in Island Operations,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers the security, risk and ESG disclosure issues corporations operating in Hawaii and the Pacific must plan for. It is free to read and download. Read CM-05
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-06, “Climate Security and Island Public Safety,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers how climate change acts as a threat multiplier for emergency management and public safety in Pacific and coastal island communities. It is free to read and download. Read CM-06
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-07, “Insider Threat in the Island Hospitality Industry,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers insider threat in Hawaii's tourism and hospitality industry, a risk resort operators rarely assess, and how to assess it. It is free to read and download. Read CM-07
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-08, “BTAM Cultural Calibration for Pacific Islander Communities,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers why behavioral threat assessment must be culturally calibrated for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communication norms. It is free to read and download. Read CM-08
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-09, “Tsunami Preparedness in Pacific Island Communities,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers tsunami preparedness policy for Hawaii and Pacific Island coastal communities, and the gaps warning systems alone do not close. It is free to read and download. Read CM-09
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-10, “Island Wildfire Policy Beyond Maui — A Pacific Perspective,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers extending Lahaina wildfire lessons to wildfire risk and emergency management in island communities beyond Maui. It is free to read and download. Read CM-10
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-11, “Diversity and Representation in Island Law Enforcement,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers diversity, cultural competency and workforce development for officers policing the communities they come from in Hawaii and the Pacific. It is free to read and download. Read CM-11
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-12, “Hospital Security in Island Communities,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers security policy for island hospitals that are both critical infrastructure and a community's medical lifeline, with limited backup. It is free to read and download. Read CM-12
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-13, “Drug Trafficking Networks in the Pacific — 2026 Update,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers Pacific drug trafficking networks on the 'blue highway' and what they mean for island border security and community-level policing. It is free to read and download. Read CM-13
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-14, “China and Pacific Security — Community-Level Impacts,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers the community-level public safety implications of China's expanding security agreements with Pacific Island nations. It is free to read and download. Read CM-14
HONOLULU, May 1, 2026. The Island Security Policy Institute (ISPI) has published CM-15, “ESG and Indigenous Community Relations in Hawaii,” a commentary in the ISPI Commentary Series. The commentary covers what ESG accountability beyond land acknowledgment looks like for corporations operating on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island lands. It is free to read and download. Read CM-15
Expert commentary
ISPI analysis published in response to news events.
