STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3525

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 78

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 78 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO INCREASE POLICE PRESENCE ON THE WAI‘ANAE COAST AND THE CREATION OF A NEW POLICE DISTRICT FOR WAI‘ANAE THAT IS SEPARATE FROM KAPOLEI AND ‘EWA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge:

(1) The allocation of additional resources to increase police presence on the Waianae Coast; and

(2) The creation of a new police district for Waianae that is separate from Kapolei and Ewa.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the entire west side of Oahu, including Ewa, Kapolei, Nanakuli, and Waianae, is growing in population. Additionally, a new police station opened in Waianae in May 2016. Your Committee believes that increased staffing and resources for the Waianae Coast Community Policing team are warranted and needed to serve the growing Waianae area and adequately manage the new police station. Your Committee further finds that of the crimes reported, District 8, which includes Ewa, Kapolei, and the Waianae Coast, had the highest number of murders and aggravated assaults on Oahu in 2020. Your Committee believes that increasing the visible presence of uniformed police officers would improve public safety by deterring criminal activity and providing more immediate assistance to victims once a crime has been committed. This measure will improve public safety by urging the Honolulu Police Department to allocate additional resources to increase police presence on the Waianae Coast and to create a new police district for Waianae that is separate from Kapolei and Ewa.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending its title accordingly; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 78, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 78, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair