HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna fired four officers last year for misconduct, including one whom investigators said left the scene of a traffic accident and lied during the subsequent criminal investigation, and another who failed a drug test.

Other Big Island officers fired last year included one who called in sick when the officer was not actually ill, and another who lied during an investigation, according to the annual report of police misconduct cases filed with the state Legislature.

The number of Big Island police firings last year was the highest since 2005, when six officers were terminated. The number of suspensions meted out to officers was 28, the highest number in at least the past nine years.

Police Capt. Marshall Kanehailua, commander of Internal Affairs, said the appeals process has not yet run its course for the cases listed in the report, and that it is possible some of the officers will have the disciplinary actions against them reduced or reversed.

Kanehailua said the report demonstrates the department is policing its own ranks.

"If you look at the numbers that we have compared to the other counties, I think we do a pretty good job," he said. "From my personal standpoint, we police our own. ... When it's reported to us, we investigate it, and we investigate it thoroughly."

For people who are not satisfied with the police internal reviews or the scrutiny provided by the county police commission, Kanehailua said, the public can complain to the state ombudsman's office. The ombudsman has reviewed cases in the past, and "our files are open to that agency to look at," he said.

The Big Island department has about 400 officers.

By comparison, the Honolulu Police Department has almost 2,000 officers and reported no firings last year.

Twenty-three Honolulu officers were punished for breaking laws or department regulations, the lowest number in at least eight years.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.