Amid rising concerns regarding missing children on the Big Island, some Kona residents are taking initiative to raise awareness locally.
Among those residents hoping to make a difference is Nakoa Pabre. At 5 p.m. today, Pabre, who owns Umeke’s Fish Market Bar &Grill, will be hosting a community meeting in the parking lot of the restaurant on Pawai Place.
“The intention of the meeting is to raise awareness in our community that these things are happening; human trafficking, some close calls and some other situations that a lot of people aren’t aware about,” said Pabre.
More than a dozen children have been reported missing on the Big Island in the past two months, prompting a June 16 meeting between the Hawaii County Council and the Hawaii Police Department about the perceived uptick.
During the meeting, Lt. Sandor Finkey, of the department’s Juvenile Aid Section, said there’s actually been a decrease in the number of missing child reports of the past few years with 853 in 2008 compared to 417 in 2019 and 152 this year. The reason for a perceived increase in cases recently is likely because the department increased its efficiency in notifying the public about a missing child, he said.
While police addressed the government’s role in working to solve the issue locally, Finkey maintained the public’s role is integral to a reducing the problem.
“This starts in the home,” said Finkey. “For the children who aren’t in foster care, we want parents to talk to their kids candidly about what can happen if they run away… We want them to know what their kids are doing on social media and who their friends are.”
Pabre said community involvement is just as important. This is why he arranged for the community meeting to take place. Spreading awareness is the meeting’s primary goal, with the hope that the public can be extra vigilant to combat the issue.
“The ideal outcome would be for the community to do our part; to recognize things that’s not normal and to create safety in our community,” said Pabre. “Be extra eyes and extra ears out there.”
The meeting follows a sign-waving event held Sunday in Hilo to raise awareness about the issue of missing keiki.