HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	20
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting an increased Honolulu police department presence in the chinatown and downtown honolulu areas.

WHEREAS, the Chinatown Historic District in Honolulu is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, and Downtown Honolulu is home to some of Oahu's most historic places; and

WHEREAS, it is important to maintain the safety of business owners, workers, and patrons, as well as to protect their property and possessions; encourage commercial activity; and preserve the history and culture of the Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu areas; and

WHEREAS, crimes such as drug dealing, illegal gambling, robbery, and purse snatching are plaguing business owners and dissuading visitors from visiting these areas; and

WHEREAS, there has been an increase in crime, particularly in assaults and thefts, during the last quarter of 2016; and

WHEREAS, in September 2016, a woman was fatally shot in an illegal gaming room in the Chinatown area, and in September 2017, a man was fatally shot while he sat outside a Chinatown store; and

WHEREAS, according to a Honolulu Police Department (HPD) report, there was a total of fifty-three reported incidents relating to motor vehicle theft, theft, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, or graffiti-related incidents from January 6, 2018, through January 19, 2018, in Sector 1, identified as the Downtown, Aala Park, and Chinatown area; and

WHEREAS, while the number of reported incidents within a short period of time is already a concern, many crimes may not be reported to HPD; and

WHEREAS, there is concern about the recent increase in and severity of criminal activity, and business owners in Chinatown are calling for more police presence in the area; and

WHEREAS, increasing the visible presence of uniformed police officers would improve public safety by deterring criminal activity as well as providing more immediate assistance to victims once a crime has been committed; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council are strongly urged to allocate more resources to the Honolulu Police Department, for the purpose of increasing visible police presence in, and active patrols of, the Downtown and Chinatown areas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Chair of the Honolulu City Council, the Chief of the Honolulu Police Department, and the Chair of the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu; Increase Police Presence