This is to settle an ongoing debate. One side would say it is slang for police, the other the fact that Hawaii is the 50th state.

1. Five-0 was meant to designate that Hawaii was the 50th state.
2. the 50th state of our fine union. and then the brother used it to refer to the police or the po po. they weren't that smart. thats what using mary jane and staying up late watching nick@nite will do to you too.
3. Deffo the 50th state.
4. It means the 50th state. FIVE-0
5. "Hawaii Five-O" a state police agency? NO
   Guidebooks have to keep telling tourists that Hawaii does not and never did have a state police force. A "Five-0"-style police unit was proposed by governor John Burns (who was in office from 1962-1973), but apparently didn't get anywhere, possibly because the legislature didn't want to fund it or for some other reason.

   Why was it called Five-O, anyway?
   Hawaii was the fiftieth state in the union. (The original title was "The Man," but producer Leonard Freeman changed his mind.)

Tags: hawaii travel, hawaii real estate