Chinatown businesses credit HPD for upturn

Mayor Kirk Caldwell got mixed news as he walked through Chinatown with reporters to survey the streets of Oahu’s oldest neighborhood at lunchtime Tuesday.

Stepped-up police patrols have helped create a cleaner and safer environment, merchants told Caldwell.

But throughout the historic district, there were also signs that crime and homelessness are still very much a part of Chinatown.

Dwight Lockwood, owner of Smith’s Union Bar on Hotel Street, told Caldwell that business at “Hawaii’s oldest drinking establishment” has been steady. The increased presence of police in recent weeks has “made a world of difference,” he said, estimating that the number of homeless loitering outside the establishment has been reduced by 80 percent.

In January, Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha assigned 12 officers to patrol the Chinatown area on foot in response to complaints. Working from 8 a.m. to midnight in two shifts of six, the officers helped the regular Chinatown patrol officers enforce the city’s sit-lie ordinance and park rules, among other matters.

On Tuesday a reporter noticed that the glass front door of Smith’s Union Bar had been cracked, and asked Lockwood what happened.

“Chinatown,” Lockwood said, shrugging. “Chinatown happens.”

The nearly hourlong tour ended at Smith-Beretania Park, where a handful of homeless people scattered as the entourage of police officers, cameras and city officials made their way into the playground. They left behind tarps, wagons and other belongings.

“We went to a whole bunch of businesses, and most of them said, ‘We’re doing pretty well,’” Caldwell said, adding that many appreciated the beefed-up police patrols.

“But we still have our challenges,” he said as he surveyed the park and the belongings left behind by the homeless.

It’s a perplexing problem, officials said. The law says parks are open to everyone during park hours. When they’re closed, the homeless return to the sidewalks where the sit-lie law is not in effect from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

Caldwell said he wants HPD to huddle with housing and homeless officials to see whether there would be room for the homeless at Hale Mauliola, the Sand Island transitional shelter created by the city and run by the Institute for Human Services, or perhaps on vacant land in Kakaako.

Maj. Roy Sugimura, who heads District 1 patrol operations, said officers have issued 13,000 sit-lie warnings and only a few citations and arrests for violating the law that prohibits people from sitting and lying down on sidewalks in designated areas, including all of downtown-Chinatown.

“A lot of people will heed the warning and move on and clear those areas for the people to use the sidewalks,” Sugimura said.

Miki Lee, manager at Bar 35 and a volunteer with the Honolulu Culture and Arts District, said she is happy not just with the increased HPD presence, but stepped-up dialogue between police and merchants.

“I do believe it’s a safe area, but I believe we also need to pay attention to some things and just keep working together to fix them,” Lee said. “Generally, things are better. We have a couple of areas that are notoriously challenging. One of those is Sun Yat-Sen Park, and the other is Smith-Beretania. I think there are some limitations to what our laws allow, but I think we’re also actively looking for other solutions.”

At Sun Yat-Sen Park, Caldwell was met by Hawaii Theatre Center President Ruth Bolan. Under a partnership reached in December, the city is renovating the park, including installation of a wrought-iron fence aimed at keeping people out during park closure hours. The theater, meanwhile, agreed to take over daily maintenance and security for its next-door park facility.

Bolan said the increased patrols have made a tremendous difference at the park. “The reason why this all looks so nice and smells so much better is because of you guys,” she said, nodding to Sugimura and other officers.

Also at the park, the mayor was approached by former Vietnam combat Marine Alfred Burgo, who said he has been in Hawaii 12 years and homeless for 11 months. “What are you going to do about homeless vets?” Burgo yelled as Caldwell walked by.

Caldwell stopped, turned around and told Burgo that the city has been working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to house homeless vets on Oahu. “You’re a vet, we want to help you,” he said. After hearing Burgo’s story, Caldwell had his staff work with him and promised to help his friends who are also vets in the same situation.