Current:Home > Contact-usHonolulu Police Department is adding dozens of extra police officers to westside patrols-InfoLens
Honolulu Police Department is adding dozens of extra police officers to westside patrols
View Date:2024-12-23 10:53:35
Dozens of additional police officers are now patrolling West Oahu in an effort to increase the police department’s presence and deter crime after an uptick of violence in the area.
The reserve officers will be stationed at crime “hot spots,” including beach parks, the Waianae Boat Harbor and around shopping centers, Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan said after a town hall on public safety at Nanakuli High School on Monday night.
Some reserve officers will also be patrolling the valleys to increase visibility there, he said.
Logan said the additional officers began patrolling in the District 8 area late last week. He did not want to say specifically how many officers would be on the streets but said the number is between eight and 20 per shift, depending on how many sign up.
But Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who has been meeting in recent days with Logan and other officials, said around 12 reserve officers per shift will be sent to District 8, which stretches from Ewa Beach to Kaena Point.
Reserve officers, many of whom are retired police officers, are fully qualified to perform police duties and work a minimum of 20 hours every month, according to HPD.
Logan said the department has nearly 200 reserve officers, around 100 of whom drive their own subsidized vehicles.
City officials have been under immense pressure to increase resources to the Westside as violence has noticeably increased in the past few months.
A shooting on Waianae Valley Road on Aug. 31 left four people dead after a neighborhood dispute escalated.
There were two attempted murders in Makaha and Maili the following week, according to HPD.
Three shootings occurred in the span of a week in early August on the Westside, prompting state and city officials to hold a press conference on Aug. 16 promising to send additional law enforcement officers to the Waianae Coast.
But staffing levels didn’t remain consistent. Logan said during a previous press conference that the district was not fully staffed the weekend of the Waianae Valley Road shooting.
The increased presence of reserve officers in District 8 will continue through the end of the year, at which point the department will assess whether more time is needed, Logan said.
HPD Maj. Gail Beckley, who oversees District 8, said she hopes the reservists will help deter crime and also put community members at ease.
“We had a lot of violent crime in a short period of time,” she said. “Our goal is to try to make the community feel safe again.”
Logan also said he wants to increase the number of full-time officers assigned to the Westside, though declined to say exactly how many additional officers he thinks the region needs.
Currently, the district is usually staffed with 19 to 23 officers per shift, according to Blangiardi. There are two, 13-hour shifts per day.
But District 8 also has the most vacancies of any district with around 68 unfilled positions, according to the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers.
Beckley said with more staff, her officers could spend more time on important community programs, like DARE, a police program that helps educate young students about the dangers of drugs and how to deal with problems like peer pressure and bullying.
___
This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
veryGood! (74714)
Related
- Dick Van Dyke says he 'fortunately' won't be around for Trump's second presidency
- New Orleans’ mayor says she’s not using coveted city apartment, but council orders locks changed
- Ship sunk by Houthis likely responsible for damaging 3 telecommunications cables under Red Sea
- Women’s tennis tour and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will work to support prenatal care
- Oprah Winfrey denies being paid $1M for Kamala Harris rally: 'I was not paid a dime'
- 'I am losing my mind': Behind the rosy job numbers, Americans are struggling to find work
- Aldi plans to open 800 new stores around the U.S.
- New Lake Will Fuel Petrochemical Expansion on Texas Coast
- Special counsel Smith asks court to pause appeal seeking to revive Trump’s classified documents case
- Norfolk Southern alone should pay for cleanup of Ohio train derailment, judge says
Ranking
- Why Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams May Be Rejoining the George R.R. Martin Universe
- As Inslee’s final legislative session ends, more work remains to cement climate legacy
- Haiti's top gang leader warns of civil war that will lead to genocide unless prime minister steps down
- Sister Wives' Christine Brown Honors Kody and Janelle's Late Son Garrison With Moving Tribute
- Brush fire erupts in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park amid prolonged drought
- Duke-North Carolina clash leads games to watch on final weekend of college basketball season
- Fans split over hefty price tag to hear all of Taylor Swift's new music
- Annette Bening recalls attending 2000 Oscars while pregnant with daughter Ella Beatty
Recommendation
-
Question of a lifetime: Families prepare to confront 9/11 masterminds
-
Lionel Messi scores goal in Inter Miami's Concacaf Champions Cup match vs. Nashville SC
-
Haiti's top gang leader warns of civil war that will lead to genocide unless prime minister steps down
-
Tax season is underway. Here are some tips to navigate it
-
Teachers in 3 Massachusetts communities continue strike over pay, paid parental leave
-
Pencils down: SATs are going all digital, and students have mixed reviews of the new format
-
Two former Texas deputies have been acquitted in the death of a motorist following a police chase
-
Introduction to TEA Business College