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 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 residents and dissuading
visitors from visiting these areas; and
WHEREAS, in June 2018, a former Honolulu sports reporter was beaten
into a coma on Maunakea Street in Chinatown and passed away soon after; and
WHEREAS, in
October 2019, a fifty year-old man was robbed at knifepoint in the Chinatown
area; and
WHEREAS, in December 2019, an eighty year-old woman's bag was
snatched while she was waiting to start her early morning tai chi class near
the Nuuanu Stream; and
WHEREAS, a touchscreen visitor information kiosk depicting the
Honolulu mayor was destroyed when someone punched and broke the glass screen;
and
WHEREAS, a website entitled ChinatownWatch.com was created by a
small business owner displaying people defecating on the sidewalks, drinking
alcohol in public, vandalism, such as graffiti, broken shop and car windows,
and illegal dumping of garbage; and
WHEREAS, there is concern about the recent increase in and severity
of criminal activity, and business owners and residents in Chinatown are
calling for immediate assistance to victims of crime in the area; and
WHEREAS, the
cameras monitoring the Chinatown area currently do not work; and
WHEREAS, installing a new camera system in Chinatown 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 Thirtieth Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the Mayor
of the City and County of Honolulu and Honolulu City Council are strongly urged
to install and maintain a new camera system in the Downtown and Chinatown areas;
and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Chair of the
Honolulu City Council, Chief of the Honolulu Police Department, and Chair of
the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board.
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OFFERED BY:
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Report Title:
New
Chinatown Camera System