{"id":5697,"date":"2019-06-03T22:47:47","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T22:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/?p=5697"},"modified":"2019-06-04T18:50:33","modified_gmt":"2019-06-04T18:50:33","slug":"state-of-hawaii-and-city-of-honolulu-may-not-be-able-to-work-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/03\/state-of-hawaii-and-city-of-honolulu-may-not-be-able-to-work-together\/","title":{"rendered":"New Security Cams Watching Activity on Diamond Head Side of Ala Wai Harbor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHawaii's DLNR and the City of Honolulu Should be a Collab - But are They?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNew Security Cams on Diamond Head Side of State Harbor Installed by City Crews at City Expense\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

In the quiet darkness of a recent early Saturday morning,\u00a0 City of Honolulu crews installed sophisticated HPD security cameras on the Diamond Head side of the State's Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor (AWSBH).\u00a0 Two camera systems, for now.\u00a0 One at the Diamond Head entrance of the pay parking lot adjacent to the Hilton Hawaiian property, and the other at the Diamond Head end of the Ala Moana Bowls surfer parking lot.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The cameras were installed on State of Hawaii property.\u00a0 Ironically, the State's DLNR had been asked, for years, to install security cams in certain strategic areas around the AWSBH to help deter drug-related crime spillover from Hawaii's crack cocaine drug epidemic. The DLNR has responded by not responding.\u00a0 Equally disturbing is the lack of interest on the part of Hawaii legislators.\u00a0 Representative Tommy (The Sledge) Brower, Waikiki District, has been aware of the request, as has been Senator Sharon Moriwaki.\u00a0 Historically, neither of the latter has actually done anything to help deter crime in this part of their district. <\/span><\/p>\n

By putting the security cams in place, the City is acknowledging the need for additional security in these areas, and with the prospect of an upcoming mayor's convention in the near future, there were enough good reasons to take the plunge and spend taxpayers' money on the installations.\u00a0 No one, not even the City of Honolulu, holds their breath waiting for the DLNR to act.\u00a0 While the cameras appear to be quite permanent, there has been some talk that the State may want to remove them later and install their own system, as suggested by one DLNR employee who did not want to be named.\u00a0 <\/span>Either way, there are indicators that suggest that the State's DLNR and the City of Honolulu are not on the same page.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Enhanced Security of Harbor Bathrooms Badly Needed<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Up until now, it has been risky for harbor tenants to use the bathrooms at the AWSBH, because they seem to have become ground zero for homeless and drug-related activity in the area.\u00a0 Male drug addicts using women's bathrooms, women in men's bathrooms, urine and feces on the floors and walls, and dicey individuals hanging around just outside the bathroom entrances, make the use of these facilities unappealing, if not dangerous. <\/span><\/p>\n

On several occasions, Suzanne Case's DLNR had been asked to install cameras around the entrances of the harbor's bathrooms in order to help deter the threat of crime in the area.\u00a0 But, as it turns out, the DLNR responds to the public at its leisure, when it responds at all, and has indicated that it's not interested in upgrading security in its harbor system -- despite the growing dangers.\u00a0 In fact, the DLNR's enforcement arm, DoCARE, is currently under investigation by the State Attorney General's office, for gross dereliction of duty.\u00a0 Dereliction of responsibility is a common theme at the DLNR, even, ironically, in the Land Board's legal division.<\/span><\/p>\n

If thought through carefully, cameras installed in certain strategic locations around the harbor system for the purpose of deterring crime would probably upgrade the quality of our ocean recreation experience here.\u00a0 Poorly thought-through surveillance schemes, however, would have dire consequences for the people of Hawaii in the not-too-distant future.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A Harbinger of Hawaii's Dystopian Future?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There are other specters that are raised with this latest round of security cam installations.\u00a0 We've written previously about what we feel will be a dystopian Hawaii<\/a>, in the not too distant future, should the residents of this State decide not to rise up and put a halt to the mindless kowtowing of our leadership to wealthy outsider interests.\u00a0 Unregulated camera surveillance in the State will most definitely be a component of the new dystopian future that residents may face here.\u00a0 Some private interests here are already preparing for facial recognition technology. Once again, residents themselves need to rise up and stop the nonsense that their leaders would otherwise allow to become law.\u00a0 This is, by no means, a time when residents should trust the judgement of the leaders who are being paid with taxpayer money and wealthy favor.
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DLNR Blunders Might Soon Cost Average Boaters a LOT More Money<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Taxpayer money does NOT<\/strong> fund public harbor operations . . . at all.\u00a0\u00a0 All funding for State harbors throughout Hawaii comes from boaters themselves via the Special Boating Fund.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the DLNR and its DoBOR division have been systematically squandering the money<\/a> in the Special Boating Fund on one failed initiative after another, debiting the fund as if the money was being used for harbors' maintenance projects, upgrades, or infrastructure costs.\u00a0 The Fund, as a result, is going dry, and now it's the average recreational boater who will have to pay for yet another new boater fee increase in order to replenish the fund. <\/span><\/p>\n

The name of the fee increase rules change is Chapter 13-234<\/a>, Boater Fee Increase Rules Package. These fee increases are NOT needed. The Special Boating Fund has been grossly mismanaged to the detriment of Hawaii's public harbor system and Hawaii's boaters. \u00a0 All boaters and ocean recreation enthusiasts are strongly encouraged to write to the following people (below), repeatedly, in protest.\u00a0 Better, call them.\u00a0 And when 13-234<\/a> comes up before the DLNR Board, go there in person<\/span><\/strong><\/em> and oppose the fleecing of Hawaii\u2019s boaters.\u00a0 If you would like to have your protest published online on the Hawaii Ocean News website -- a protest preserved, over time, for all to see -- please contact us<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suzanne Case, Chair, DLNR:\u00a0 suzanne.case@hawaii.gov<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

DLNR Board (BLNR):\u00a0 blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov<\/a> , dlnr@hawaii.gov<\/a> \u00a0and include the following message at the top of your email: PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERY BLNR BOARDMEMBER \u2013 PLEASE CONFIRM BY EMAIL THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE<\/span><\/p>\n

Write to the governor:\u00a0 <\/span>CLICK HERE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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On another, but not unrelated, topic . . .<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In a previous article<\/a> we cited Lanai's Manele Bay privatization<\/a> attempt by misguided legislators<\/a> not paying attention to the will of the people.\u00a0 Below, we ask that you add your name to the growing number of residents who oppose the act of privatization of public lands and assets.<\/span><\/p>\n

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