Posted on: Thursday, January 6, 2005
Police will walk Chinatown
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Honolulu police officers will institute foot patrols in Chinatown later this month for the first time in at least a decade.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser Of nearly 35 police recruits winding up their one-on-one field training, 30 are expected to be walking the street in the next three weeks. As many as 10 officers will be sent to Chinatown, with the others heading to Waikiki.
"It is a good opportunity for us to train our recruits and talk directly with the community they serve and have a closer working relationship with residents and businesses," Lima said.
Police Chief Boisse Correa decided to re-implement the Fourth Watch, or foot patrols, because of improved staffing levels. Patrol officers in Waikiki have always been encouraged to park their cars and walk.
The Fourth Watch is being billed as not only an increase in police presence but also as another training tool for young officers coming out of the police academy.
After training at the academy, recruits are placed into the field for an additional 14 weeks of street training. In that time, the new officers are assigned training officers who scrutinize them as they work in the field.
The training officer tries to expose the recruit to all types of cases and evaluates all aspects of the recruit's police work, from public interaction to safety on the job.
"All the old timers didn't have a field training program; theirs was a Fourth Watch," Lima said.
Residents and business owners yesterday said they are pleased at the prospect of having more officers walking beats but fear it might be too little to combat widespread crime in the area.
"There must be a problem down here if they're needed," said Wes Le, a 28-year-old Ho-nolulu chef. "I would think people would feel safer."
Hue Nguyen, who owns My Canh restaurant in Chinatown with his son Johnny, said additional beat officers would be a great crime deterrent, one that would help both businesses and residents.
"It's better for the business because it is more safety for the customer," said Hue Nguyen.
Burton White, artistic director and general manager of the Hawai'i Theatre, said he hasn't seen foot patrols in Chinatown for at least 10 years. White, who has for years lobbied the city and the police department for foot patrols, said he is excited to finally get them.
"You don't get that same relationship going between the merchants, the residents and police when they (the police) are in transit," said White. "I'm glad to hear it is going to happen again. I think it will improve the information the police get from people here in Chinatown."
Foot patrols are historically how police officers first started patrolling neighborhoods in big cities. Before the advent of radio communications and data analysis, police officers relied almost solely on information gathered from talking to residents and business owners on the street.
Former Hawai'i governor John Burns started out as a beat cop, walking the street in Kalihi, Chinatown, and Kailua.
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
"I believe the foot patrols are going to make a significant difference in quality-of-life concerns in Chinatown," said police Maj. Kevin Lima, head of the District 1 patrol sector.
From left, Andrew O'Connor of Wai'alae Iki, Dre Courchen of 'Aiea, and Don Cinnamond of Wai'alae Iki talk outside Indigo Eurasian Cuisine on Nu'uanu Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares of Chinatown, where a greater police presence is planned.
"Our officers have the ability to use deadly force, arrest people, and temporarily halt their ability to move freely," Lima said. "We need to make sure we have the right people doing this. We must be sure that we train and thoroughly screen all our officers."
