'Ewa embraces anti-crime plan
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer
'EWA — A plan to expand the Weed & Seed anti-crime program to the 'Ewa district got off to a promising start last week with more than 100 residents attending an organizational meeting.
• What: Residents of the 'Ewa area are needed to help with the area's upcoming Weed & Seed program • When: Begins this fall • Call: The Weed & Seed office at 543-2216
"If you're here to complain about something and expect someone else to fix it, nothing will happen," said Maile Kanemaru, Hawai'i program executive director, to the audience Thursday evening at James Campbell High School. "Your participation is the only way this will work."
How to help
The program is a coordinated effort among city, state and federal law enforcement agencies and area residents, targeting violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity. It depends on community efforts and tough legal penalties to "weed out" crime, and crime prevention, intervention, treatment and neighborhood revitalization to "seed" a safer community.
Volunteers are asked to join one of three committees: community policing, which involves residents patrolling their neighborhoods; neighborhood restoration to plan cleanups; and prevention, intervention and treatment to set up "safe havens" providing a variety of services.
The expansion of the program to the 'Ewa region — which covers 'Ewa Villages, 'Ewa by Gentry and 'Ewa Beach and will begin in September or October — is in response to area crime problems that many residents said are drug-related. Out of all violent crimes reported in O'ahu's eight police districts in 2000, District 8 (Wai'anae Coast-'Ewa) had the most negligent homicides (10), rapes (39), aggravated assaults (188), and sex and family offenses. It also ranked second in murders, burglaries and other assaults.
The program got its start in 1998 in the Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown area, which saw a 70 percent drop in crime from 1997 to 2000. The Waipahu portion of the program began in late 2000 and is still in the "weeding" stage of police stings and drug busts to move repeat criminals out of the area.
While previous Weed & Seed sites have focused around low-income housing areas where drug activity is prevalent, the designated 'Ewa site is spread out over several square miles. Kanemaru said monthly meetings will be rotated around various 'Ewa locations to involve all the communities.
Noble George, a pastor who attended Thursday's meeting, said burglars have hit his church four times recently.
"They've been getting pretty brazen; women's handbags end up missing when no one's looking," said George, who heads the 'Ewa Community Church in 'Ewa Villages. "We really need something like this out here to help improve the appearance of the neighborhood."
Reach Scott Ishikawa at 535-2429 or sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.
