KAILUA-KONA — As plans move forward to clean up homeless camps at Old Kona Airport Park, the results could be a template for how law enforcement and community agencies respond to homeless issues in the future.
The homeless problem dominated discussion at Friday’s police commission meeting. Hawaii County police officers provided detailed reports on where homeless were residing around the island, how they were handling the situation and the upcoming cleanup of Old Airport.
The park will be closed starting at 7 a.m. Aug. 9 and will remain closed into Aug. 10. To be sure the cleanup efforts were not in vain, the Department of Parks and Recreation plans to privatize security for the evening hours at the park to keep people from camping overnight. The department is currently working out those details.
“We are taking it back,” said Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Director Charmaine Kamaka. “It’s the people’s park.”
Hawaii County Police Chief Paul Ferreira told the commission the mayor’s office is looking at ways to address the homeless issue. Several agencies are involved including mental health, social services and housing services.
Ferreira said he’d like to be optimistic about the Old Airport cleanup.
“Are we going to be successful in cleaning up Old Airport? Unless we can keep enforcement up, we’re going to go back and forth,” Ferreira said.
Assistant Chief Mitch Kanehailua Jr. for Hawaii Police Department in Area II reported to commissioners locations of other large camps and smaller clusters sprawled around Kailua-Kona.
“The most visible to the public is the homeless camp at Old Kona Airport Beach Park,” Kanehailua said.
Before a drug bust at Old Airport in March, Kanehailua said, officers were doing monthly checks at all the known camps in the area. They were increased to weekly sweeps after Samson Keanaaina and Michelle Wright were arrested on drug charges.
“I expect it to increase once we get the Old Airport situation done,” he said.
Large encampments have been located near storm drains and in various areas surrounding Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
Smaller clusters are scattered throughout town. Weekly park sweeps include: Kona Public Library; Hale Halawai; Kailua Pier; Banyans; Lyman’s Beach; Pahoehoe Beach Park; Laaloa Beach Park; Honl’s Beach and Kahaluu Beach Park.
Peter Hendricks, vice chair of the commission, wondered how many individuals would take advantage of facilities if they were provided.
Kanehailua said a good number of the homeless like living the way they live.
“There’s a lot of responsibility to being a law-abiding citizen,” Kanehailua said.
Kanehailua also explained how officers encounter many homeless individuals with mental health issues.
“In Kona there’s a lot of people we arrest that don’t belong there,” Kanehailua said. “They need psychiatric help.”
Commissioner Carl Carlson asked what government agencies are responsible for dealing with the homeless.
Without putting anyone on the spot, Kanehailua said, he thinks it’s a medical and health issue.
There’s no easy solution, Hendricks added.
“We appreciate what law enforcement does,” he said. “We need to bring in other resources.”
Ferreira addressed the commissioners saying homelessness is not a crime. It’s a community issue.
“Law enforcement is the Band-Aid fix for everything. It is a public issue and it is a public complaint issue,” the chief said.
Ferreira told commissioners Mayor Harry Kim has stressed this isn’t a law enforcement problem.
“Unfortunately, we’re the most visible and most accessible and it falls on us,” the chief said.
The homeless problem becomes a police issue when there has been an ordinance violation or crime committed.
Commissioner Wayne De Luz said this is a big issue.
“If the right agency doesn’t address it becomes a bigger issue,” De Luz said. “The reason we have these problems is the failure of government policy.”
