|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
78 |
|
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
|
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
HOUSE RESOLUTION
URGING THE CITY AND COUNTY of HONOLULU TO ESTABLISH A NEW POLICE DISTRICT in LEEWARD OAHU TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE POLICE SERVICES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE FOR GROWING LEEWARD OAHU COMMUNITIES.
WHEREAS, the jurisdiction of the Honolulu Police Department includes the entire island of Oahu, which has an estimated resident and military personnel population of nearly 964,000 according to State of Hawaii Data Book 2020 data; and
WHEREAS, the Honolulu Police Department is comprised of eight patrol districts and twenty-nine divisions that serve Oahu; and
WHEREAS, Honolulu Police Department district stations are located in Kalihi, Kaneohe, Kapolei, Pearl City, and Wahiawa, with police substations located in Chinatown, Kahuku, Kailua, Waianae, and Waikiki; and
WHEREAS, a significant percentage of Oahu's population reside in Leeward Oahu, which includes the communities of Waipahu, Ewa, and Nanakuli, to the coast of Maili, Waianae, and Makaha; and
WHEREAS, according to statistics from the 2020 State of Hawaii Data Book, populations in the Leeward Oahu communities rose between 2015-2019, when compared to the 2010 populations of those communities; and
WHEREAS, besides serving the needs of the Leeward Oahu resident population, the workload of Honolulu Police Department District 8 is also amplified by residents and visitors who are drawn to the sunny and relaxed atmosphere of these close-knit residential communities; attractions of Yokohama Bay, Makaha Beach, and Kaena Point; luxurious amenities of world-class resorts; thrilling experience of a water park; and enjoyment of a luau dining experience; and
WHEREAS, Honolulu Police Department Crimemapping Data indicates that Honolulu Police Department District 8, which covers the communities of Ewa, Ewa Beach, West Loch, Barbers Point, Kapolei, Makakilo, Campbell Industrial Park, Honokai Hale, Ko Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae, Makaha, Makua, and Kaena, responds to an array of calls that include assaults, burglaries, drug and alcohol violations, homicides, motor vehicle theft, sex crimes, vandalism, and disturbing the peace; and
WHEREAS, furthermore, recent news reports indicate that business owners in Kapolei, Honolulu, and other areas have become victims of a rash of thefts and burglaries; and
WHEREAS, this increased criminal activity has prompted calls for a greater police presence and a better law enforcement response; and
WHEREAS, police officers are also responding to a greater number of incidents involving persons who are homeless: the 2020 Oahu Point in Time Count indicates that the Ewa/Kapolei region and Waianae Coast region have some of the highest percentages of unsheltered populations on Oahu; and
WHEREAS, the law enforcement needs of a growing Leeward Oahu population call for an additional police station within Honolulu Police Department District 8, which will provide improved police response and other services to the Leeward Oahu communities; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to establish a new police district in Leeward Oahu to provide adequate police services and law enforcement response for growing Leeward Oahu communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Chair of the Honolulu City Council, and Acting Chief of the Honolulu Police Department.
|
|
OFFERED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
|
|
|
Honolulu Police Department; Leeward Oahu; Police Station