KAILUA — The Kailua Neighborhood Board is calling for an islandwide police detail to step up law enforcement on parks and beaches.

Ongoing problems at Kailua Beach Park range from unleashed dogs and illegal parking to raucous parties, alcohol consumption, drug dealing and fights, board members said. In addition, area residents and park users have noted an increase in panhandling and the presence of homeless people.

Board member Faith Evans, who initiated the request, said problems have been on the rise over the last decade. The board has submitted a request to Mayor Mufi Hannemann calling for a patrol that would operate under the community policing concept — educating the public as well as enforcing the law. Each of O'ahu's eight police districts would put together a team with 12 new hires at salaries of $55,122, including benefits. The initial effort would cost about $5.3 million.

"I think the money would be well spent," Evans said. "They might start it as a pilot project. Certainly, the problems at Ala Moana would be contained or reduced greatly."

This spring, when city officials initiated nighttime closings at Ala Moana Beach Park to make renovations and repairs, an estimated 200 homeless people were displaced. The state in early May opened a temporary shelter in a Kaka'ako warehouse to help accommodate them.

The new police detail, according to the board's request, would be trained in laws concerning beaches and parks and would work in tandem with the state Department of Land & Natural Resources enforcement division.

Gary Moniz, the DLNR's enforcement chief, said some of the more pervasive problems are tied to an increase in beach area foot-traffic accompanied by inconsiderate behavior, such as leaving hot coals on the beach, dumping trash on the ground and damaging restrooms.

"Kailua Beach is not unique," he said. "You're seeing a large number of individuals trying to utilize a small space and with competing interests, user conflicts are inevitable."

Moniz said his Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement has worked with police before and would welcome a special park and beach team.

Regular beach park users say a police presence would improve the beach experience.

Megan Clark, a paddling instructor at Kailua Beach who has lived in the community for 10 years, said for the first time she's concerned about the hundreds of children using the beach daily for summer activities.

"There's more suspicious activity in the bathroom so right now, I'm definitely going to be watching my students," Clark said. "I really want to make sure I don't expose them to any inappropriate behavior."

At the Windward Kai Canoe Club, across the street from the park, kids have found drugs in the boat storage area and were exposed to vulgar graffiti, said Rebel Chamizo, club representative. Criminal behavior, including theft of club equipment, and nuisance behavior, such as broken beer bottles, are on the rise since the homeless were told to leave the beach park about two years ago, Chamizo said.

A police patrol would ensure children's safety, Chamizo said, "so we want them to patrol." Noting that not all homeless individuals are troublemakers, she added, "We want them to actually remove the homeless again."

Beach patrols aren't a new concept at Kailua Beach Park. Over the last 15 years, at least four patrols have combed the beach.

In 1996, Marine volunteers from Marine Corps Base Hawai'i walked the beach and called police if they encountered trouble. Castle High School students made up a Teen Citizen Patrol in 1999 that came to Kailua Beach among other locations. In 2002, Kailua Citizens On Patrol formed in response to late-night parties at the boat ramp on the Lanikai end of the park.

A police patrol created about 15 years ago disbanded but police still patrol the beach occasionally in the evenings, mostly on all-terrain-vehicles, said Lt. Kennard Finn, with the Windward District Police. Finn, who regularly attends neighborhood board meetings, said Kailua Beach crime hasn't spiked or been noteworthy lately. But when factoring in other ongoing problems at the park, he said he understands why the neighborhood board wants a patrol.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.