The Popolo Policeman

As a youth, Tony Gonzalez had many encounters with the law which led to multiple arrests and stays in juvenile detention facilities. Despite this rocky start, he had the drive to succeed on the right side of the law.

Tony graduated from Kaimuki High School, then went on to Boise Junior College where he ran track and played football. In 1963, he became a police officer in Honolulu, earning many department and citizen commendations, including Honolulu Policeman of the Year in 1973. His experiences as a policeman are chronicled in The Popolo Policeman.

Through Tony’s experiences on both sides of the law, The Popolo Policeman gives a firsthand look at the social dynamics of the criminal and law enforcement communities in Honolulu during the 1960s and 1970s. Unique and in-depth, Tony’s memoirs as presented in The Popolo Policeman offer valuable insight into this exciting period in Honolulu’s history.

About the Author

Tony Gonzalez was born in Honolulu in May 1942. He was raised in Palolo Valley, Oahu. While a working police officer, he earned an Associate Degree in Police Science. For the past eighteen years, he has operated two Clean and Sober houses in Waianae and Palolo Valley for males who are homeless or paroled and in need of support.

Now retired, Tony is affectionately known as Uncle Tony and is energetic at 75. He now lives in the Makaha area of the Leeward coast of Oahu. He is married with two grown children, a stepson, and five grandchildren.