Posted on: Monday, November 4, 2002
East Honolulu police station plans still alive
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
HAWAI'I KAI — It's been almost a year since members of the community have heard anything about the city's plans to build a police station in East Honolulu.
During that time, money the city had earmarked for a station in 'Aina Haina lapsed because it was site specific, said Karl Godsey, assistant chief for police support services.
"Sept. 11 shuffled our finances around and our focus shifted around," Godsey said. "This is something that has always been a priority for the police department."
The City Council has subsequently appropriated $5 million in the 2002-03 budget for the project, which will place the new station in Hawai'i Kai.
Under the current schedule, construction is supposed to start in January and take about 12 months to complete.
East Honolulu is the only district without a police station in the community.
The department selected the park-and-ride site on Keahole Street for its two-story, 15,000-square-foot facility. The station will house administration, field operations, booking/holding operations, investigators, special programs, locker rooms and physical fitness facilities.
"I have heard absolutely nothing about the police station," said Charlie Rodgers, Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board chairman. "I think it's absolutely awful that nothing is going on."
Godsey said as soon as the plans are drawn up by Sam Chang Architects & Associates, the department will make presentations to the community.
During the planning, there were nearly a dozen community meetings held last year to discuss where to put the state-of-the-art police station. Each community from Kaimuki to Hawai'i Kai to 'Aina Haina wanted the station in their community. Residents argued that the station needed to be centralized.
Police determined that they needed a site in the community that was at least two acres, easily accessible and close to a major street, and close to a park or open space.
In the end, that led police to settle on the grounds of the park-and-ride on Keahole Street.
There are more than 270 officers in the district, which spans from Manoa to Makapu'u.
