City officials continue discussions to improve crime problems in Waianae | News

HONOLULU (Island News) – With disturbing crime numbers along the Waianae coast, many local officials continue to search for answers.

As discussions continue, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and HPD Chief Joe Logan met just before the weekend.

“Public safety is our top priority, so we've talked about it a lot, especially in light of recent events. I've told not only the people of Waianae, but across the island, that we will meet violence with violence. So we've had a number of conversations with Logan and his team over the last few weeks. Today, just before I came back to the meeting, they're going to lay out their plan for Waianae… but I'll tell you, our intention is to make people feel safe,” Blangiardi said.

State Senator Cross Crabbe is responsible for the coast including Waianae, Nanakuli and Makaha.

“People are used to fighting and arguing between governments and blaming each other. I really believe that in this situation all parties will come together to find solutions,” Crabbe said.

Numerous problems were addressed on Friday. The staffing shortage at HPD continues to be one of the biggest challenges.

There is currently still a shortage of well over 400 police officers. Closing the gap will probably take some time.

Mayor Blangiardi told Island News: “In fact, there are about 437 vacancies. It's not realistic that this will happen in the near future. This could take some time. I don't think we'll ever fill all 437 vacancies. We know the numbers, but we're clearly on a recruitment spree. We need to get at least a couple hundred of those vacancies back.”

In the meantime, the city is committed to doing everything possible to improve the visibility of officers on duty over time.

Blangiardi also said: “This is a challenge facing municipalities across the country. The good news is, [that] HPD has always been a strong anchor and source of pride on our island, so we hope that legacy will continue in future recruitments.”