It was only one weekend, which should not be taken as a complete picture of the state of crime on Oahu. Still, residents are right to recoil at the news that six people were shot in the space of the Independence Day holiday weekend. There were additionally two cases of guns being used illegally for recreation — such as firing a gun into the air — over that period.
And now that routines have resumed there’s time for serious thought about what kinds of action these violent outbursts should prompt.
To recap, a drive-by shooting early Saturday morning in Kalihi wounded four in an adult video store parking lot. A 16-year-old boy is the suspect in another shooting that seriously injured a man, 22, at Maili Beach Park. The sixth victim is the 18-year-old girlfriend of a man, also 18, who shot her in Ewa Beach.
While police continue their search for suspects, some of the island’s social vulnerabilities, evident for years, were again made plain in this rash of criminality. One is the apparent easy access to guns among youth who shouldn’t have them.
And although a task force rarely lands squarely on the solution at the start, convening one to trace what put the guns in the shooters’ hands is a reasonable first step. That’s what the Honolulu Police Department has pledged to organize, although preliminary information on the holiday weekend shootings already suggests weapons were legally registered, rather than the unregulated “ghost guns” often thought to be the problem.
A task force could identify the owners of the guns used and whether the need is for better controls on them: steeper fines or other penalties for failing to secure their weapons, for instance. There could be wider educational outreach to gun owners about the importance of restricting access.
The problems go much deeper, of course. Many of the individuals being sought for these cases already have multiple arrests and multiple convictions, said Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan on Saturday.
In the short term, that should mean an increase in police presence in locations where gatherings go awry, often fueled by drugs or alcohol. More frequent patrols in parks, for example, could deter reckless behavior before it produces a tragic outcome.
One of the cases that could have caused death or injury occurred at Lualualei Beach Park in Waianae, with three men firing a gun toward the ocean. The driver was arrested on felony firearm and drug charges. And it’s not only guns at the center of this mayhem. Logan noted two separate stabbing cases during the Fourth of July weekend.
Already state and city lawmakers are discussing a “public safety policy statement” aimed at Waianae, given the district’s rising crime. The goal is to implement youth programs and other initiatives aimed at monitoring high school environments and creating opportunities for teens after high school.
And to further improve oversight of neighborhood hot spots and build community relationships, HPD’s Major Events Division has planned for 24-hour operations from a post at the Waianae Police Station, starting in September. This is long overdue.
Of course, the basic concept of early intervention, presenting kids with healthy diversions that could redirect their choices is nothing new for the department. HPD has pursued these ends since 1948 with the establishment of the Police Activities League, offering a range of “PAL” sports and other programs for youth.
All of these aspects of community policing must continue through a commitment of funds to stay the course. The current mayor has signed on for that, but the next chief of police, once appointed by the Honolulu Police Commission, must take the reins with a firm hand.
Source: The Garden Island