A homeless encampment at the Kona Aquatics Center was removed Thursday morning with police and Parks and Recreation staff performing park rules enforcement.
“Any time we know there is a certain group of people violating Hawaii County code or other ordinances, we will do an enforcement action in conjunction with the police department,” said Parks and Recreation Director Maurice Messina.
He said code enforcement includes setting up a residence in a park, being in a park after hours, refuse violations, sanitary violations, no camping permits, drinking and drug use.
Messina said 14 individuals were still at the park on Wednesday after being given a two-week notice to vacate. Thursday morning there were eight people left, with six of the eight accepting housing solutions.
Kristen Alice of Hope Services said prior to their arrival at the encampment site, they confirmed availability of five beds at the Hilo shelter facility, with no beds available in Kona or Pahoa.
“Three individuals accepted Hope shelter beds,” she said, explaining one went to a West Hawaii Emergency Housing Program shelter bed Wednesday, one to Hale Maluhia Women’s Shelter in Hilo, and one to Keolahou Emergency Shelter for men in Hilo.
One individual was referred to a Care Hawaii Stabilization bed and is pending placement
“Eight individuals declined shelter, because there were not enough beds in Kona, and they did not want to relocate to Hilo. All are interested in shelter and are receiving case management and outreach services from our team,” she said. “We would like to add that we appreciate Hawaii Police Department and Parks and Recreation’s approach and engagement at (Thursday’s) sweep. They were patient, served with respect and compassion, and gave people time and space to pack up. No dump truck was present, and the county Parks and Recreation Department staff assisted with packing and loading people’s belongings.”
Regina Weller of 808 Homeless Task Force said she was able to place one woman with her brother and establish a relationship with others, purchasing them phones so they could communicate. She also was able to send another person back to their family in Colorado Springs.
“You buy them clothes, you give them hope,” said Weller. “You talk to them and interview them and before you know it they are talking about their families. I become their case manager. They need specialized care because everybody’s different.”
In the last two weeks, she sent 15 individuals home and put three in rehab at Sand Island. Last year Weller, a one-woman force of nature, sent 55 people back home to family, placed 71 in housing, 12 in rehab.
Up until now, Messina said they have not had the need to issue trespass notices, because when they come in for an enforcement, they do all of the outreach ahead of time with the police department and outreach specialists and everyone has been compliant in leaving the area or accepting services.
“Since out first action at Hale Halawai, we have not issued any citations or trespass notices islandwide in any of our enforcement actions,” he said. “There have been no arrests.”
That is a result of outreach done by many individuals, including Messina, done weeks before the enforcement date, giving the individuals enough time to find other living arrangements or accept help.
“We’re not just showing up out of the blue kicking down doors. Everybody knows that it’s coming, so we are giving them every opportunity that we can think of to find another place to reside,” said Messina.
Thursday marked the first time a trespass violation was issued when two individuals resisted leaving the area, and when they finally did, they just moved a few hundred feet away, still on park property. Messina said those individuals have been offered services and housing numerous times over the years, but have either refused services or were removed from housing for “not following the rules”. They stated they prefer to live on the streets.
“One couple, initially uncooperative and refusing shelter, erected a tarp over their belongings, partially obstructing the parking lot exit. After they refused to leave, we had no choice but to issue citations for obstructing the roadway and issue a trespass notice,” said Community Policing Sgt. Brandon Mansur. “Such enforcement action was necessary in this case to ensure their own safety, and also make the area safe for vehicles traveling through the area.”
Messina said the area by the pool was very unsanitary.
“There were people there that were violating the code by drinking, smoking and doing drugs. They weren’t picking up after their animals, so there was a lot of feces around. The whole place smelled of urine. Those are all citable offenses, but instead of citing them, everyone either agreed to vacate the area or accept services or call someone to pick them up,” he said.
Mayor Mitch Roth said the enforcement was a testament to the collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit service providers, and the community.
“Together, we continue to strike the balance of enforcement and empathy in hopes of ensuring welcoming and safe public spaces for all in our community. These efforts are led with aloha and compassion, and we cannot thank our service providers and community policing officers enough for their continued efforts to address these issues holistically, with the best interest of all in our community in mind,” he said in a prepared statement.
Mansur said the priority is to connect those in need with the necessary resources.
“Ultimately, all individuals left the park, and we addressed any health and safety hazards. The Hawaii Police Department frequently receives complaints about homelessness near the Kona Community Aquatic Center,” said Mansur. “Addressing this issue is a priority for us, and we are committed to continuing our cooperation with the Department of Parks and Recreation and our service providers. Our goal is to maintain a balanced approach to outreach and law enforcement, always respecting individuals’ constitutional rights.”
Messina said he was very thankful for Community Policing and the job they do keeping the enforcement from escalating, saying they make everything go smoother.
“But when we have children having to walk through feces strewn encampments, there has to be a time where enough is enough,” said Messina. “It is a daily occurrence for our department to try and stop all illegal activities that are happening in our parks because our charge is to make our parks safe and enjoyable for everyone who visits them.”
Messina said county is doing its best to offer every helping hand available.
“I was appointed to be the parks director and that means my job is to keep our parks safe and no matter if I have to work 24 hours a day to do that, that’s what I’m going to do,” said Messina.
