South Kona Neighborhood Watch coordinators continue to express frustration with the Hawaii Police Department’s handling of residents’ concerns following an apparent snafu Wednesday night that resulted in a wanted woman, whom the public was asked to help locate, not being immediately apprehended.
Miles Mulcahy and Brenda Ford, who coordinate separate Neighborhood Watches, said a woman shopping at Choice Mart in Captain Cook about 7 p.m. reportedly heard a woman arguing with customers and identified her as Nicole Adams, who police have a warrant of arrest out for and is considered a person of interest in a rash of South Kona crimes police attribute to an organized group.
The woman had seen Adams’ photo on a poster police presented to the public during a Tuesday community meeting on the crime spree at Konawaena High School.
She called 9-1-1 but was directed to the department’s nonemergency line where she was put on hold, the coordinators said. When the woman tried calling 9-1-1 again as Adams was leaving the store, she was told to call the nonemergency line where she is put on hold, again. Adams then left.
“She called just as Nicole Adams was leaving and couldn’t reach police and what could she do?” said Mulcahy. “Knowing you can’t call police to get help is very unreassuring.”
Police, however, did later locate Adams, who Thursday afternoon remained in custody at the Kona Police cellblock. A police detective did not know if the arrest followed the above report.
In another instance Wednesday evening, the two said Neighborhood Watch persons observed a suspicious vehicle on Hokukano Road and followed it south toward Kona Coffee Villas. When they tried to report their concerns to police, they were transferred to the nonemergency line. A dispatcher reportedly told the callers she was from Hilo and did not know South Kona landmarks.
Police Chief Harry Kubojiri said late Thursday afternoon that the department is aware of the issues, but he was unable to comment on specifics. He said the department’s Technical Services Maj. Larry Weber will thoroughly review the incident, and, if needed, make the applicable changes, such as additional training.
“We will review the tapes of the whole incident and what took place,” said Weber. “Then we will take action to correct any mistakes.”
