Posted on: Thursday, September 9, 2004
Salt Lake bus stop instills fear at night
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
One Salt Lake bus stop has earned a bad reputation and grabbed the attention of the community.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Janice Dinken, the general manager of the 310-unit Sunset Lakeview apartments directly behind the bus stop, said the situation has become dangerous for residents.
"This is their home, and they want to feel safe and they can't even go to the bus stop," Dinken said. "I want the residents of Salt Lake to feel they can walk down the street or sit at their bus stop when it is raining and feel safe."
Dinken said several residents have been mugged at the bus stop by criminals who followed them after getting off the bus. She said gangs will take over the bus stop area and residents will wait in groups across the apartment's driveway for their bus to arrive before walking up to board.
The issue came to a head after two men were stabbed at the bus stop at about 12:45 a.m. Aug. 8 and sent to the hospital in serious condition. One was involved in a fight and the second was just walking home with his groceries, according to police.
No one has been arrested in the case, police said.
Who: The Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village Neighborhood Board What: Meeting to discuss crime at Ala 'Ilima Street bus stop When: 7 p.m. today Where: Aliamanu Middle School cafeteria, 3271 Salt Lake Blvd. Gang activity and what can be done to curb crime at the bus shelter will be discussed at the Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village Neighborhood Board meeting tonight.
Police Capt. Clayton Saito said patrol officers are aware of the situation and are monitoring all bus stops in the area.
"We will make sure our patrols pass by and if people hanging out there look like they don't belong, we will stop by and talk with them," Saito said. "After hours, that is a different story. After the bus stops running there is no reason for them to be there. Then we have a little more reason to see what they are doing there."
Cheryl Soon, city Department of Transportation Services director, met with police last month to discuss making the stop safer for bus riders.
In an Aug. 26 letter to Dinken, Soon said DTS will request that a light be placed inside the shelter to discourage loitering and criminal activities.
Soon said the department will use this shelter as a test case to see if adding lighting is an effective deterrent to vandalism, crime and harassment.
Saito said once police focus on that bus stop, the problem will likely move to another shelter. However, Dinken said the stop is unique because people sitting there can see traffic — and police — approaching from both directions. Reach James Gonser at 535-2431 or jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.
The covered stop at 3215 Ala 'Ilima St. has been called a gang hangout by neighbors and is the scene of daily fights, drug dealing, theft and intimidation of riders, they say.
Salt Lake residents say they are afraid to use this bus stop at 3215 Ala 'Ilima St. because it has been taken over at night by gang members. Two men were stabbed at the bus stop on Aug. 8.
"None of my residents will use the bus stop at night since the stabbing," Dinken said. "During the day they will because they know other people are out and about and watching. In the evenings, my residents just flat-out refuse to even walk on that part of the property."
Public meeting
