Crime and Public Safety in Hawai`i: “Top Concern”

May 13, 2022

This year, public safety has been a “top concern” for us. Many of you report that thefts, assaults and harassment keep you indoors just when you were hoping to enjoy walking outdoors once again.

During neighborhood board meetings and other public forums, the recurring questions that arise are “what are you doing to help?” and “why aren’t you doing more?” Come join a “Safety in Waikīkī” Town Hall to share your experiences and concerns about public safety within the district. In addition to Council Chair Tommy Waters, Rep Adrian Tam and me, will be agency representatives from the City Housing & Homeless Office, Community Services, CORE mobile outreach program, HPD, the Prosecutor and community agencies. We must all work together to find solutions to make our community safe and healthy for everyone. This virtual Town Hall is set for Tuesday May, 17 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m via Zoom.  More details to follow soon.

Caring for each other,

Contents

Legislative Updates
State News
HPD Safety Tip with Officer Taryn Osborne: Graduation Season
Flags to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the million Americans lost to COVID-19
District Happenings
Lilia Waikiki Opening/Blessing
Upcoming Events in May that will Involve Road Closure
Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL) and HPD District 6: Light Up the Night Ride in Waikiki
Weekend Waysides
Leahi Festival
Hibiscus Half Marathon
Mark Your Calendars
Citizen Patrol
Makiki Neighborhood Board

Legislative Updates

Governor’s Deadlines
Now that the legislative session has adjourned, the Governor has two upcoming deadlines to act on bills that the Legislature passed:

Monday, June 27th — the 35th day after Sine Die—the deadline for the Governor to inform the Legislature of his intent to veto
Tuesday, July 12th — the 45th day after Sine Die—the deadline for the Governor to sign bills into law, let them become law without his signature, or veto. The Legislature must act on the same day to override any veto transmitted by the Governor.

If you have any questions about the deadlines or what this means for existing bills that have passed, please contact the Public Access Room or give our office a call at 808-586-6740.

State News

HPD Safety Tip with Officer Taryn Osborne: Graduation Season

As graduation is right around the corner, we know people are excited to gather and celebrate with
friends and family especially with mask restrictions finally lifted. Keep in mind that the Department of Education still has some guidelines for graduation ceremonies, requiring ceremonies to be held outdoors or in places with adequate ventilation. In addition, masks must be worn for indoor ceremonies, allowed to be removed only for picture taking.

And, as always, for your health, remember to wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face unnecessarily. If you feel sick, please stay home, and rest up. Also, hand sanitizers work well but nothing beats good handwashing.

During this time of celebration let us not forget about safety as well. It is great that we get to come together again, but do so wisely. If alcohol is being served at your party, please have a designated driver to bring you home safely. Don’t drink and drive for your safety and the safety of others. HPD will be setting up impaired driver checkpoints throughout the island, so please do the right thing and if you plan on drinking, don’t drive.

Flags to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the million Americans lost to COVID-19

At the direction of the President and on behalf of the Governor, Acting Gov. Josh Green has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawai‘i state flag be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect and remembrance of the one million Americans who have died of COVID-19. Flags will be flown at half-staff at the Hawai`i State Capitol, on all state offices and agencies and at the Hawai`i National Guard until sunset on Monday, May 16, 2022. Gov. Ige is in Japan on state business. Lt. Gov. Green is serving as acting governor until Gov. Ige’s return on Friday. President Joe Biden’s presidential action can be found here.

District Happenings

Lilia Waikiki Opening/Blessing

This past week Representative Tam, Senator Chang and I were invited to the opening/blessing of the fully completed, Lilia Waikiki. With the help of many, Lilia Waikiki has already delivered 53 affordable 80% AMI rentals in December 2020 with 100% lease up to locals in the first month it opened. This next phase of the balance of 401 units (38 affordable 80% AMI rentals and the 363 market-rate units) is set to open this month. If you’re interested in getting more information, please visit liliawaikiki.com. You can also check out highlights on Instagram here.

Upcoming Events in May that will Involve Road Closure

May 14: Leahi Festival
- Event will be from 2:00 p.m. to midnight (road closures start 1:00 p.m.)
- Kalakaua Ave. will be closed from Seaside Ave. to Uluniu Ave.
May 29: Hibiscus Half Marathon
- Event will be from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Multiple roads will be closed around Diamond Head and Kapiolani Park area. For a map of the race, please click here for their website.

Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL) and HPD District 6: Light Up the Night Ride in Waikiki

On May 28, HPD District 6 is partnering with HBL to bring back the “Light Up the Night Ride” in Waikiki. They are looking to raise bike safety awareness and provide an opportunity for everyone to enjoy a fun evening biking through Waikiki. The bike ride will start roughly at 6:30pm, but participants are encouraged to arrive early for free helmet fittings, bike lights, reflectors, and information. Officers will be there to answer any questions. To register for the event and to find out more, click here.

Weekend Waysides

Leahi Festival

Date and time: May 14, 2022, 2:00 p.m. to midnight
Location: Kalakaua Avenue will be closed from Seaside Avenue to Uluniu Avenue
The Leahi Festival is free and open to the public. The event features Hawai’i’s local food and retail vendors, small businesses, farmers, and handmade crafts. The strip from Seaside Avenue down to Uluniu Street on Kalakaua Avenue will be shut down entirely for locals and tourists to enjoy this night market block festival. There will be a live DJ playing music and this family-friendly event welcomes all ages.

Hibiscus Half Marathon

Date: May 29, 2022
Location: Kapiolani Park
The 14th annual Hibiscus Half Marathon, 15K and 5 miler is a fun event for all ages! The course starts and ends at Kapiolani Park at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki. Join us for this fun event and support the cause! To enter in the race, you can enter or check out more details here.

Not racing this year? Come out and volunteer at one of the aid stations or packet pickup locations! If you’re racing, do you have friends/family who want to come out to support you? Every volunteer gets a cool kokua crew shirt and sweet goodie bag. Sign up to volunteer here.

Mark Your Calendars

Citizen Patrol

The Community Policing Teams invite you and your neighbors/friends in the area to join us for some fresh air and good conversation during a Citizen Patrol Walk around the neighborhood. All ages and pets welcome! See how we can address any community concerns together!

Upcoming Citizen Patrols:

Waikiki Baptist Church, 424 Kuamo’o Street
Tuesdays – 4:30 p.m.
Eaton Square, 438 Hobron Lane
Tuesdays – 6:00 p.m.
Banyan Tree, Intersection of Kalakaua Avenue and Uluniu Street
Thursdays – 4:30 p.m.
Ala Wai Boat Harbor, 1651 Ala Moana Boulevard
Thursdays – 6:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact Officer Ryan Yamamoto at 808-723-3349 or ryan.yamamoto@honolulu.gov.

Kaka`ako United Citizen Patrol, Meet at Mother Waldron Park
Not meeting this coming Monday. Will resume May 23 at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact Louise Stevens at louise.leilehua@gmail.com

Makiki Neighborhood Board

Date and time: Thursday, May 19, 2022, 6:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
Details for this meeting have not been posted yet but you can visit the City and County website for the latest neighborhood board updates.

Our office will continue to be here to serve you. If you enjoy our newsletter, it’s always appreciated to share it with a family, friend or community member.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to respond to this email or email me here: my inbox is always open. You can also give our office a call at (808) 586-6740. Mahalo for waking up to our newsletter! Have a great day!