City Council members are considering an outright ban on camping in Kapi'olani Park as a way to deal with a longtime homeless problem.

Bill 2, which got its first reading yesterday and is headed to committee, would amend the city's "illegal camping" ordinance to ban using Kapi'olani Park at any time as a "temporary or permanent dwelling place or sleeping place." The existing ordinance bans camping without a permit in city parks from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

City Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the measure and whose district includes Kapi'olani Park, said the city needs to take more action to deal with the homeless population at the landmark park.

"Kapi'olani Park is the gateway to Waikiki," he said. "I feel something needs to be done. We need to get some discussion going about how we fix the problem with vagrants at Kapi'olani Park."

It's too early to tell whether the camping ban proposal for Kapi'olani Park could stand up in a court challenge. Djou said the bill still needs some work, and he added he is open to suggestions.

About 14 tents dotted the park yesterday afternoon. Most were next to the Waikiki Aquarium.

Service providers say the new illegal camping proposal for Kapi'olani Park will only make the job of getting services to the homeless harder.

"It's outrageous," said Pastor Bob Erb, of Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry, which serves meals to the homeless.

Erb estimates about 300 homeless people live in Waikiki, and many stay in Kapi'olani Park during the day. He added that it appears the number of homeless in the state's No. 1 tourist destination is edging upward. About a year ago, his ministry was feeding dinner to about 60 people a day in Waikiki.

These days, he serves dinner to 100 to 150 people.

Djou's proposal to ban camping outright is likely to find support among some Waikiki residents and park users, who say homeless in Kapi'olani Park skirt the existing law by taking down their tents by 10 p.m. and putting them back up at 5 a.m. to sleep during the day.

Michelle Matson, president of the Kapi'olani Park Advisory Council, told City Council members yesterday that homeless in the park are scaring others off and impeding maintenance work.

"Inhabitation of Kapi'olani Park trust lands has escalated to the point where damage to the trust lands and intimidation of park users and Honolulu's visitors are daily occurrences," Matson testified.

The City Council unanimously passed the "illegal camping" measure for all city parks Aug. 22, nine months after the Hawai'i Supreme struck down a similar law that banned camping in parks. The court said the old law was too vague.