KIHEI, Maui — South Maui offers some of the island's best beaches for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and family picnics, so it's only natural residents and visitors would want to spend as much time as possible at the region's shoreline parks.

The same features that draw thousands of beachgoers daily also attract a crowd that has been responsible for public drunkenness, vandalism, disorderly conduct and other crimes.

Concerns about those problems and other issues caused park officials to impose a 7 p.m. closing time and lock the gates at most county parks in South Maui, but the head of the Department of Parks and Recreation said she's open to adjusting the hours depending on community sentiment.

"We're trying to find a happy medium for people who are responsible and want to use our beautiful beaches. On the other hand, we need to look at keeping people safe," said Parks Director Tamara Horcajo.

She said former Kihei Community Association leadership was adamant about locking park gates at 7 p.m. due to noise, crime and alcohol-related troubles, but there seems to be more interest now in extending the hours to as late as 9 or 10 p.m.

The parks department hosted a community meeting last week to discuss park hours in the Kihei area, and Horcajo said she expects to make a decision soon.

Kihei resident Susan Bradford said she uses the beaches "morning, noon and night." With early closing hours, "sometimes I have to run out of the ocean and jump in my car and leave," she said. She often returns with dinner and friends to watch the sunset. "It's so lovely, and after that the stars come out," she said.

Bradford said it's not fair that only those who can afford to own or rent beachfront property can enjoy the ocean view in the evening. "In some ways it's like the beaches are almost private. There should be a way it can be more open to the public," she said.

Richard Michaels, of the nonprofit citizens group Maui Tomorrow, said he's heard from a number of residents who want to be able to use public beach parks in the evening hours.

"The question is, do we allow the element that is creating the security problems to rule when the parks can be used by local families?" he said. "Most of the problems with drugs and loud noises seem to come after 9 p.m. anyways. It should be possible for local families to use the beaches to watch the sunset and have a little picnic."

Michaels said closing hours could be decided on a park-by-park basis, depending on proximity to neighboring condominiums and other factors.

Parks in West Maui are open until 8 p.m. The parks department launched a pilot project June 1 that set closing hours at 8 p.m. at eight South Maui beach parks so people could enjoy the summer sunsets, and the hours have remained in effect.

The parks are Charlie Young Park; Cove Park; Kama'ole Beach Parks I, II and III; Kalepolepo Park; Keawakapu Beach Park; and Waipuilani.

Unlike on O'ahu, alcohol consumption is permitted in county parks on Maui, except in parking lots or near schools. Horcajo said the county's concerns about nighttime park activity include disturbances to residents of neighboring condominiums and the cost of lighting, since most of the parks have none.

The issue of lighting raises other worries, including unwanted light pollution and lights disorienting sea turtles and sea birds.

Maui police officer Alan Brown, who works with the visitor-oriented policing program in Kihei, said he is concerned not only about crime but about safety problems such as parkgoers stumbling over tree roots and other obstacles in the dark.

"Most of these parks aren't lit. At Kama'ole III you have banyan trees, and even on a bright night, it's pitch black in there," Brown said.

Later park hours also would place more strain on police resources, he said. In the past 10 months, police responded to 200 calls at county beach parks in South Maui between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to Brown.

"You have people who will be drinking, and if the parks are open later, they will carry over from the day and be there for a longer period of time. And when they do finally leave, there will be more chances for (drunken driving) and disorderly conduct," he said.

During the summer, when the days are longer, police generally allow people to stay in the parks past closing hours as long as it's still light out, Brown said.

"It was something we were already doing. We weren't chasing people out of the parks."

Brown feels a firm 7 p.m. may be more appropriate for winter months, although he can see a reason for keeping the hours consistent year-round.

Bob Richardson, chairman of the Kihei Community Association's Parks Committee, said the organization has not had a chance to discuss park hours with its full membership yet, but he suspects there would be supporters for both sides of the issue.

"There are some who don't want to see the parks lighted at night because that ruins the environment. On the other hand, there's no safe way to have people in the park at night without lights. It's a tough situation," he said.

Richardson has seen firsthand the after-hours mischief and worse that takes place at county parks. With wife Lis, he organized several volunteer park stewardship programs and is a member of the Kalama Park Action Team. Kalama is open until 10 p.m. because it is an "active" park with lighted athletic facilities.

"We've had so many challenges at Kalama Park, I'm a little apprehensive about extending park hours, especially this time of year when it gets dark earlier," he said. "Almost all, the parks in question are not lit and are not designed to be nighttime parks."

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.