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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
75 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
uRGING THE HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT TO OPEN A POLICE STATion ON oAHU'S NORTH SHORE.
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Visitors and
Convention Bureau estimates that more than half of Oahu's 6,500,000 visitors
make the trek to the North Shore at some time during their stay on Oahu; and
WHEREAS,
it is important to maintain the safety of North Shore residents, business
owners, workers, and patrons as well as to protect their property and possessions
and preserve the community-based lifestyle of Oahu's North Shore; and
WHEREAS,
residents have reported that crimes such as arson, vandalism, theft, and
burglary have sharply increased in the community, making residents feel unsafe
and dissuading visitors from visiting the North Shore; and
WHEREAS, on December 7, 2017, tourists
found the body of an elementary school teacher who had been cleaning a rental
home on Ke Iki Road near Sunset Beach with her eight-year-old daughter and five
days later, a man and a woman were charged with murder, two counts of
kidnapping, and burglary in connection with the teacher's death; and
WHEREAS, according to the latest
Honolulu Police Department (HPD) annual reports from 2015 and 2016, there was
an increase in the total index crime rate that consists of murder, rape,
robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and auto theft reports in
Wahiawa's District 2, which includes the North Shore; and
WHEREAS,
the total index crime rate reported for District 2 increased from 2,023 to
2,055 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2015 and 2016, respectively, according to
data extrapolated by the Attorney General's Research and Statistics Division;
and
WHEREAS,
in District 2 from 2015 to 2016, reports of burglary increased from 320 to 359
and auto theft reports increased from 284 to 324; and
WHEREAS, North Shore residents have
reported an increase in motor vehicle-related crimes, particularly motor
vehicle break-ins, over the past two years; and
WHEREAS, over the span of one weekend in early March 2016, residents reported a series of potentially connected crimes including four motor vehicle break-ins and three motor vehicle fires; and
WHEREAS, according to an HPD report
encompassing January 2018, there were 304 reported crimes, including 65 reports
of theft, 96 reports of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, and 23 reports
of burglary in District 2; and
WHEREAS,
according to HPD, there were 33 reported incidents relating to burglary, motor
vehicle theft, theft, and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle from January
29, 2018, through February 11, 2018, in Sector 3 of District 2, identified as
the areas of Waialua and the North Shore; and
WHEREAS,
while the number of reported incidents within a short period of time is already
a concern, total incidence of crime on the North Shore may be even higher as
many crimes may not be reported to HPD; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the alarming rate of criminal activity, North Shore has also noticed an increase of homeless individuals in the area; and
WHEREAS, according to the Hawaii Statewide Point-In-Time Count, the number of unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness in the region from Wahiawa to North Shore increased by 74.2 percent from 2016 to 2017; and
WHEREAS,
members of the North Shore community and area business owners are calling for
more police presence in the area, due to concerns about the recent increase in
incidence and severity of criminal activity and homelessness; now, therefore,
BE
IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of
the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the Honolulu Police
Department is strongly urged to open a police station on the North Shore of
Oahu; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to
the Chief of the Honolulu Police Department.
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OFFERED BY: |
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North Shore on Oahu; Police Station