HR226.DOC

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) has primary responsibility for resource enforcement in the State; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has the fourth largest coastline in the nation and there are 23,000 acres of inland surface water, 3 million acres of state ocean waters, 410,000 acres of coral reef around the main Hawaiian Islands; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has the largest tropical rainforest in the United States and the 11^th largest state forest of which over one million acres are utilized for hunting; and

WHEREAS, there are two million acres of conservation land and 1.2 million acres of state-owned lands, including lands within the urban core; and

WHEREAS, user conflicts caused by competing interests have resulted in an increased demand for more conservation enforcement intervention; and

WHEREAS, in April, 2008, sovereignty activists barred the public from entering the grounds of Iolani Palace, claiming sovereign rights over the area; and

WHEREAS, while Department of Land and Natural Resources and DOCARE officers were working to resolve the issue, the Honolulu Police Department was called to assist around 8:45 am, however, the Honolulu Police Department did not arrive for hours; and

WHEREAS, in August, 2008, a police officer refused to help a woman who was assaulted at Iolani Palace, because he thought that it was outside of the Honolulu Police Department’s jurisdiction; and

WHEREAS, after the incident, Honolulu County Police Chief Correa reaffirmed that the Honolulu Police Department has jurisdiction to enforce the laws of the State and City and County of Honolulu on all lands within the City and County of Honolulu, and that no such incident as the one that occurred at Iolani Palace would ever happen again; and

WHEREAS, the Honolulu Police Department has approximately 2,134 full-time sworn officers and is the 21^st largest police department in the nation; and

WHEREAS, DOCARE currently has approximately 120 enforcement officer positions, of which 111 are currently filled, making it impossible to provide for adequate coverage for the lands under DOCARE jurisdiction on a 24-hour basis; and

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the Honolulu Police Department to be dedicated to providing excellent service through partnerships that build trust, reduce crime, create a safe environment, and enhance the quality of life in our community and are committed to the principles of integrity, respect, and fairness; and

WHEREAS, the Honolulu Police Department is charged, as stated by Honolulu Police County Chief Correa, with upholding and enforcing the laws of the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii on all lands within the City and County of Honolulu, including lands owned by various state departments; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the concurrent jurisdiction of the Honolulu Police Department to enforce the laws of the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii on lands within the City and County of Honolulu, irrespective of the ownership of lands within the City and County of Honolulu by the Department of Land and Natural Resources or any state department, is reaffirmed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Mayor of City and County of Honolulu, the Chief of the Honolulu Police Department, the Directors of every state department, and the Governor.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Honolulu Police Department; concurrent jurisdiction; enforce laws

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	226
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII