Cleanup a first step for expanded Weed & Seed
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Hundreds of people will hit the streets in the Sheridan-Kaheka area Saturday to hold anti-crime signs, paint over graffiti and clean bus stops during the first major community effort in the recently expanded "Weed & Seed" law-enforcement program.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
The U.S. Department of Justice last month approved the expansion of the Weed & Seed program from the existing Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown site, west into Kalihi Valley and east into Ala Moana.
The expansion of the Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown Weed & Seed area will be marked with a ho'ala, or community awakening, which will include a cleanup of Makiki Stream. The program has expanded into Kalihi Valley and Ala Moana.
The event is called a ho'ala, or community awakening. Residents and other volunteers will also remove weeds, clean Makiki Stream, pick up litter and canvass residents and businesses in the area bounded by King, Kalakaua, Kapi'olani, and Pensacola.
"There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the Weed & Seed district," said Rep. Ken Hiraki, D-28th (Iwilei, Downtown, Makiki). "People, especially in the Sheridan Street area, are so concerned about crime. They talk about drug deals going on right in front of the homes and businesses, and property crimes — cars being stolen and homes broken into."
The program is a coordinated effort by city, state and federal law-enforcement agencies and residents to target violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity. Official designation brings federal money to fight crime and toughen federal penalties for violations in the area — the "weed" side of the equation — combined with crime prevention and efforts at intervention, treatment and neighborhood revitalization as the "seeds" of a safer community, said Maile Kanemaru, Hawai'i Weed & Seed executive director.
• A community cleanup sponsored by the Weed & Seed program. • 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. • Meet at Washington Middle School, 1633 S. King St. • For information, call Willie Cadena, Weed & Seed coordinator, at 845-6033, or John Steelquist, ho'ala event chairman, at 739-4602.
"We plan to use this event to get the word out to the community," Hiraki said. "Everybody will be wearing donated Weed & Seed T-shirts and sign-holding on Kapi'olani Boulevard about keeping the area crime-free and drug-free and announcing that the community is after you if you are going to be doing bad things."
Sheridan area to hold ho'ala
Police Maj. Michael Tucker said specific officers are being designated to monitor and enforce Weed & Seed regulations in the area.
"The Weed & Seed team will begin outreaching with community groups to form citizen patrols, neighborhood security watches and work in conjunction with the patrol officers to get some continuity in the delivery of services," Tucker said. "If there is a problem with open drug dealing, the team will try to focus in on those spots."
Residents have indicated that there are some well-known areas where drug activities take place. People arrested inside a Weed & Seed area face being arrested again if they return.
Willie Cadena, site coordinator for Weed & Seed, said the effort takes the cooperation of everyone to work.
"The whole initiative is community-driven," Cadena said. "It is not what Weed & Seed wants, it is what the community wants."
As part of the event, 30 students from Washington Middle School will conduct testing of Makiki Stream water on Friday to establish a baseline for the stream's water quality and help with a cleanup the next day. The stream cleanup is being done in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Hawai'i and the city.
Sharon Miyashiro, University of Hawai'i vice president of academic affairs, said the project will teach students to take an active part in caring for the environment and their neighborhood.
"The project stemmed from the Hawai'i Nature Center looking for stewards for the stream," Miyashiro said. "Makiki Stream has sort of been forgotten. Over time they will be taught to do stream assessment to see if efforts improve quality of water. If they work at it maybe we can get the stream back to usable again."
Makiki resident John Steelquist is coordinating the ho'ala and said the effort can be the first step in taking the neighborhood away from criminals.
"What's important is that people realize this is something new that is affecting them," Steelquist said. "The whole community can get together to reduce crime. Once you reduce crime, you improve the quality of life."
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
