The beginning report in Sunday’s issue of West Hawaii Today about the homeless and drug addiction brought new information to light. First, who knew there were tunnels under the roadway? Apparently, the police and county government knew, and about the drugs also. I drive through there several times a day and never realized such a conglomeration of unfortunate people and garbage were there. A comment by Hawaii Police Department Sgt. Roylen Valera, however, brought to realization how badly organized are any plans for the resolution of this problem.
The beginning report in Sunday’s issue of West Hawaii Today about the homeless and drug addiction brought new information to light. First, who knew there were tunnels under the roadway? Apparently, the police and county government knew, and about the drugs also. I drive through there several times a day and never realized such a conglomeration of unfortunate people and garbage were there. A comment by Hawaii Police Department Sgt. Roylen Valera, however, brought to realization how badly organized are any plans for the resolution of this problem.
For the past six months or so, I have been emailing Karen Eoff (my District), Dru Kanuha (Council Chairman and council overseer for the parks department), the Mayor’s Office and Valera, Community policing, about certain conditions at the far north end of Old Kona Airport Park.
Up until a week or so ago, there was a middle-aged couple who were living on the ledge above the beach in makeshift and filthy conditions for at least six months. Within the past three months, a family with a toddler and another young child established a tent residence at the back of the lava shelf. Now, within the past three weeks, some other person has moved into a space, again at the back of the shelf, that is a filthy aggregation of garbage and who knows what else. Other campers appear farther along the beach further north near the fence with Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center property.
Sgt. Valera reported (in the paper) that there are no plans to deal with such a condition as the “enforcement agents were told to leave the camp (tunnels) be.” This order came from the state Department of Transportation Highways Division, that decided that it needed resources and a plan before it could act. As a result, it has wasted there for a year, or more?
So what action has been done to act on the county-owned Old Kona Airport Park? Nothing. I have been told by park employees that the police are reticent to enter any camping areas for concerns of violence. Police have also reported to me that they can’t roust someone for merely putting up a tent in the park. I replied that when the campsite is obviously permanent and been there a long time, there should be at least some notice issued to vacate the site. Police have told me they have to “catch” the campers in the site before they can do anything, and again, they are reticent about entering the campsites when people will be there in the overnight hours.
I’m sorry to say that this whole situation lacks of real concern and guts. Despite the several emails I have written to the aforementioned politicians, and police, not one has even had the courtesy to respond or acknowledge my emails, with the exception of one of the mayor’s staff, who, herself, is incapable of addressing the situation, but contacted Valera to contact me — never happened. And, I presume, there is no plan by the county to deal with situation. Thank akua elections are coming soon.
Rev. John Brown is a resident of Kailua-Kona.
