HPD circumvents community efforts to gain crime data
STAR-ADVERTISER
William Axt:
The HPD assistant chief cites visibility on the map as a concern
Many of your neighbors want more useful information about crimes happening in their communities. Some have asked the city for the information multiple times since 2014.
But the Honolulu Police Department largely has ignored the requests.
The contentious issue of how much crime information HPD shares with the residents it serves escalated last week in the wake of a Honolulu Star-Advertiser story revealing that the department excludes violent offenses from its public crime mapping site online.
HPD was the only department among more than 150 that the newspaper checked nationally to limit its mapping to nonviolent crimes. The other agencies included violent and nonviolent offenses, allowing residents in cities from California to Florida to go online to see the range of crimes happening within 2 miles of their homes or businesses.
The issue received attention last week at a Honolulu Police Commission meeting and among neighborhood board members critical of HPD’s practice.
The department limits the information not just on the public mapping site. In monthly presentations to neighborhood boards, HPD excludes violent crimes from its statistics reports, focusing largely on property crimes, including thefts, burglaries and vandalism.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
“You gotta figure people are a lot more concerned about crimes which threaten their safety as opposed to property crimes,” Dale Kobayashi, chairman of the Manoa Neighborhood Board, wrote in an email to the Star-Advertiser. “It makes no sense at all for HPD to exclude the most important crimes from the site.”
Crowding the map
When commission member Loretta Sheehan inquired at last week’s commission meeting about any downside to posting all crimes, HPD Assistant Chief William Axt told the panel that one drawback is the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included.
But the ability of users to limit to as little as one day the time period for which crimes are displayed and to zoom in on specific neighborhoods would largely make moot the concern Axt raised.
“Their reasoning of making the map look too busy is ridiculous,” Kobayashi wrote. “Not a problem for the other 150 departments around the country.”
Members from multiple boards around Oahu told the Star-Advertiser that HPD has become more stingy with information since the beginning of 2014, when the department switched to a new system for reporting crime data to boards. The information became more generic and less useful for spotting trends in particular neighborhoods and still excluded violent offenses, they said.
The Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale, Downtown/Chinatown, Hawaii Kai and Koolauloa boards have been among those that have unsuccessfully sought to get police to report more comprehensive information.
“The monthly reports given at our board meetings are so generic we can’t even tell what communities are being hit with what crime!” said Verla Moore, chairwoman of the Koolauloa board, in an email. She described the reports as “useless” and said requests to return to the old system have been made to HPD “all to no avail.”
Makakilo board members who protested the reporting change were told at their May 2014 meeting by then-HPD Capt. Timothy Boswell that violent crime statistics would be included in upcoming reports to neighborhood boards and be made available on HPD’s website, according to the meeting minutes. The police hoped to make the changes within a month, the minutes said.
More than two years later, neither has happened.
Increasing secrecy
Alvin Au, chairman of the Downtown/Chinatown board, said in an email to the Star-Advertiser that the police have become more protective of information the past few years, and board members have become frustrated by the negative replies from HPD when questions are raised about the monthly reports.
“It seems that HPD comments are always coded, that their response is confidential and classified, and there is no need for the community to be part of the solution to improve the criminal activities in the area,” Au wrote.
Representatives from nearly a dozen boards told the Star-Advertiser that they would like HPD to start providing violent crime information on the mapping site and to the community panels.
“Bottom line is this information should be shared with the public,” said Natalie Iwasa, chairwoman of the Hawaii Kai board, stressing that she was speaking for herself, not the board. “When information like this is not provided, people may question what HPD is trying to hide.”
An HPD spokeswoman told the Star-Advertiser that the department has a positive working relationship with neighborhood boards, and at least one officer attends their meetings.
Among the reasons HPD launched its mapping service six years ago was to standardize responses to requests from boards and to enable their members to check current crime information without having to wait until the next meeting, according to the agency.
HPD has the ability to add violent crimes to its mapping site but intends to get community feedback before making any changes, Axt told the newspaper in an interview after last week’s commission meeting. Among the groups police want to talk to are the Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus, the visitor industry and neighborhood boards.
Victims’ rights
Besides the concern about obscuring the map, Axt said there are other reasons not to plot all categories of crime, such as to protect the rights of victims and to avoid hurting business. He said plotting the location of violent crimes, such as rapes, might discourage victims from making police reports, and plotting assaults could have the unintended consequence of hurting foot traffic at nearby businesses.
“We want to be transparent,” Axt said. “We want to provide the information to (the public) and have it available to them if they need it. We have nothing to gain by withholding any information.”
For sex assault and domestic violence crimes in particular, victim advocates have raised concerns about mapping information being too specific, potentially jeopardizing victims’ safety.
Other cities have attempted to work around that concern by limiting the location information to just the street name, rather than a particular block, such as the 1200 block, which is the common practice for plotting most crimes. The pin on the map is placed in the general area.
The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence said its position on mapping violent crimes will depend on the type of information shared, including how the offenses are labeled and whether the times, dates and locations are too specific.
“While we understand that it is important for the public to have information about violent crime in their neighborhoods, as well as the need for communities to see the prevalence of criminal issues, safety of victims and survivors is always paramount,” Janelle Oishi, the group’s director of systems and communities, said in an email.
While critics of HPD’s practice described victim safety as a legitimate concern, they noted that other jurisdictions have been able to address that without keeping vital information from the public.
And they scoffed at the notion that violent crimes should not be mapped because of the potential for hurting foot traffic to nearby businesses. That concern puts the economic interests of businesses ahead of the safety interests of the public, they said.
“That’s just ludicrous,” said attorney Earle Partington, a frequent critic of HPD. “Any competent police agency should be mapping violent crime.”
45 responses to “HPD circumvents community efforts to gain crime data”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
After being mugged in broad daylight by some United States Outlying Islanders on bicycles right on Atkinson in front of the Ala Moana Hotel, it does make you wonder what exactly is going on in Honolulu. I would like to add that the officers who did respond to my call were polite, helpful, and a credit to the department…however, there is a very big problem of tourists, citizens, just people in general getting accosted during the day. The thieves will hit any person carrying a bag or holding something in their hands. I’ve seen homeless guys walking around with Japan only labeled waist bags and shoulder bags which I can only assume they fished out of trash cans since its difficult for the thieves to fence these things now. When you hit the crime map it gives very little info, but second hand from friends in the hotel industry is that guests are warned to be careful. Discreetly. WELCOME TO HAWAII LAND OF ALOHA.
The police is not at the bottom of keeping violent crimes secret> I am sure politicians instruct them to do so, so the money-cow tourists keep coming.
Along with being professionally challenged we can add “Technically Challenged” to the ever growing list of willful major issues with HPD.
With this statement, “HPD Assistant Chief William Axt told the panel that one drawback is the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included” shows he too is technically challenged.
The other 150 PDs make the information available on their maps. Fact is HPD just doesn’t get it. Can you say “Filters” as in the viewer can select the crime information they want to see. Doesn’t have to be a jumble.
For once in their lives, our elected bureaucrats must step up to the plate and direct HPD to add all crime information to the maps within 90 day. Fail and HPD will need a new Police Chief and Assistant Chief. Fired for willful incompetence.
Back in the 1980s, I proposed computerizing the firearms database. Up until that time it was on three different sets of 3×5 cards. It set off a huge uproar but the department eventually did it because it was the only sensible way to handle the information. Yes the C&C and the state information infrastructure is deplorable. There are some systems still running on COBOL. The lady that invented the language, Admiral Grace Hopper, died in 1992.
No worry, as soon as HPD releases all the stats, the Waikiki Peninsula with be blasted with little red pins until you can’t see it anymore. The the State will step in and order HPD to withhold all the stats again.
Uhhhh, all on a computer generated map, no more red pins in a wall map. You did know this didn’t you?
This does make sense. Have we considered the question: What does HPD gain by not putting up the stats vs. What does Tourism gain by not putting up the stats?
localguy: When they put it online, the image will represent little red pins on a map that you should be able to zoom in and out.
inverse – What Jurassic, out of date Nei map are you looking at?
Mainland PDs use a sophisticated electronic may with symbols so you can easily see the type of crime and filter to see only what you want. Link below shows the site. I typed in San Diego California.
http://www.crimemapping.com/map/location/San%20Diego,%20California,%20United%20States?id=GST7YMc0AM9UOsE9HhFtGTyVGST7YMc0AM9UOsE9DbTVHgA9HhB0Zcp0OhNtGMytaikZU5gEQ5gIQFc4Hhp0OSTaSsEqAZ43AP9zJikuGPAmIYxQGPT-CZc0YiD7DsKJCZyAOh5-Dn47Z5EAHg1uONFF
William AXT is being tested to see if he can establish public confidence between the police department and the public. He probably will be one of the candidates for Chief when Kealoha leaves.
He’s practicing verbal diversion, one of the qualifications.
He FAILS the test.
Good job SA. Please keep the pressure on.
This HPD “secret police” nonsense has to be dialed back.
In the meantime, maybe we can get a refund on that HPD public relations contract. If they want to better public relations, they can stop acting like they’re the KGB.
Had to deal with HPD many times throughout my career. In my experience, they’ve always had a chip on their shoulder, we know better attitude, particularly when dealing with other law enforcement agencies.
Time to say aloha to Kealoha.
Agreed. He and his crime map “exceeds expectations” according to the police commission. Many disagree.
“When commission member Loretta Sheehan inquired at last week’s commission meeting about any downside to posting all crimes, HPD Assistant Chief William Axt told the panel that one drawback is the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included.” How about multiple maps; from burglary to murders and rapes? Doesn’t seem like a difficult thing. Kobayashi is right. The response from HPD is ridiculous. Time for an internal purge of leadership. This is too much!!
Mainland PDs use a very sophisticated electronic map with crime symbols so you can easily see the type of crime and filter to see only what you want. Link below shows the site. I typed in San Diego California.
http://www.crimemapping.com/map/location/San%20Diego,%20California,%20United%20States?id=GST7YMc0AM9UOsE9HhFtGTyVGST7YMc0AM9UOsE9DbTVHgA9HhB0Zcp0OhNtGMytaikZU5gEQ5gIQFc4Hhp0OSTaSsEqAZ43AP9zJikuGPAmIYxQGPT-CZc0YiD7DsKJCZyAOh5-Dn47Z5EAHg1uONFF
Really poor excuse/reason…..true display from an administrator lacking problem solving skills. Should have done his homework of other departments prior to even speaking to the media….”Make A” for himself and the department. ….smh
“HPD Assistant Chief William Axt told the panel that one drawback is the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included.”>>> SAD commentary on the REAL state of affairs here…”too many crimes”.
“HPD Assistant Chief William Axt told the panel that one drawback is the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included.”
What nonsense! And what a poor excuse of an excuse. Did Axt really think this was going to be taken seriously by us? What an attitude!
Time for a Freedom of Information request in front of a judge to make the info be published.
Solution is to fire the chief and assistant chiefs for not doing their jobs.
Details of crimes do not need to be available but knowing what the crime was and where is vital to many life decisions. For HPD to hold information hostage should be unacceptable to all.
Mufi is probably pressuring the HPD to keep that info out of the hands of the public for fear of curtailing tourism.
Mufi and the like politicians.
I agree, I think the politicians are sacrificing the locals needs for tourism. Politicians seem to have decided that withholding information from the local communities will help out tourism by making Hawaii look safer than it is. They can’t just provide local communities with the information and hide it from everyone else, so they are forced to hide it from everyone. They must believe this is a good sacrifice for Hawaii in the long run.
If anyone was trying to hide this information they need to relook how mainland major tourism areas are doing with it being made public. Can you say just fine?
Sad to say way too many simple minded people who just don’t understand the Nei is part of the USA and not a little banana boat republic, 10th world. Just can’t get it together and be professional.
I agree if these mainland tourism stops have found a way to implement this then we should gather the know how to also do it. I just brought up the idea that politicians could have another reason to stop the flow of this information and that HPD could just be following their instructions.
When even the police department is more concerned with protecting crime than protecting the public, you know our politicians have completely failed the people of Hawaii. Yet we keep electing the same politicians. So actually, the people of Hawaii deserve what they get.
“TO SERVE AND TO PROTECT”…Themselves. Hide and throw away rape kits, hide details about violent crimes in the community, typical HPD management. HPD don’t want to tell citizens where violent crimes occur, but, they cry for community help to identify the suspects because they cannot catch the perps.
Where is our police commission on this? Where are the Feds? They should not accept the shallow reasons HPD mgt provided for not being transparent with crime stats, despite numerous requests from the public. HPD continually gets away with sub par performance because there are no accountability systems to keep them in check.
Not up to the Feds. Police commission is totally impotent, the reason HPD is so far behind every other police organization.
Just like so many things in this city. It’s cover up time. I think Caldwell doesn’t want any potentially adverse effects while the election is going on. He’s probably thinking to hold out bad news so he can claim he did something good until the public smokes it out of his political hide.
Someone should inform Chief Axt that the truth is always difficult to see. It is also difficult to understand. But if I had a police department under such extensive criticism…I would share the truth. The confidence gap between the police and citizens can be measured in miles. Lost my faith in the police department many years ago. Very difficult for me because I once served in this proud and honorable organization. We had shoes that were required to be shined, uniforms that were clean and pressed, and brass that we polish regularly and when in uniform we saluted superior officers without fail. I was proud to be in HPD. Oh, in passing, we had outstanding leadership that we respected and loved. An order was given and it was to be followed. Now, I just to the funerals of some the best officers that ever wore a badge. I rarely tell anyone that I am ex-HPD.
Thanks for your service. HPD has sure hit rock bottom from the time you were there it. A real housecleaning is needed starting with the Chief and all of his deputies.
Would not want to see Axt considered for Chief. He seems also to have a hard time being honest. Maybe smart but not honest and too much of a politician.
Your statement is part of the problem. We cannot compare your “old” days of HPD with the “new” days of HPD. You make it seem like nothing was going on in the old days and this is only a new HPD problem. Just because you shine something up and window dress it does mean that nothing was going on. Information gathering is far better than it was back then and the public is better at finding things out nowadays.
“…the map would be difficult to see if too many crimes are included.” And that is why you include a zoom function. Zillow for example is able to show a lot of data at the neighborhood level and then zoom into individual houses. I’ve heard some pretty lame excuses for not doing something and this is certainly one of them.
Check out how professional, tech savy, mainland PDs work this area.
Mainland PDs use a sophisticated electronic may with symbols so you can easily see the type of crime and filter to see only what you want. Link below shows the site. I typed in San Diego California.
http://www.crimemapping.com/map/location/San%20Diego,%20California,%20United%20States?id=GST7YMc0AM9UOsE9HhFtGTyVGST7YMc0AM9UOsE9DbTVHgA9HhB0Zcp0OhNtGMytaikZU5gEQ5gIQFc4Hhp0OSTaSsEqAZ43AP9zJikuGPAmIYxQGPT-CZc0YiD7DsKJCZyAOh5-Dn47Z5EAHg1uONFF
Just another very clear example of HPD and its leadership doing things to suit themselves. Clearly they have little respect for the community that they supposedly serve.
The tail has been wagging the dog for a long time. Kealoha is probably the worst chief we have had but the problem goes back several administrations. There are good officers but
a rot like this coming from the head down tends to infect the whole body over time and it rots the whole organization before too long. Like any organizations you have your inevitable
bad apples which have to be culled on a regular basis. Fail to do that and you get what we see has happened to HPD.
This is the same police department that is a couple of years behind in reporting crime statistics to the FBI. No surprise here.
Could it be that updated crime stats might not help portray Hawaii as the land of Aloha and could have a negative effect on tourism. I don’t think HPD could make this call though, the instructions would have to come from a higher political position.
New HPD motto stenciled on side of patrol cars: ARROGANCE, HUBRIS, ALOOFNESS
All government entities function on the Peter Principle.
Honolulu Police Department is arrogant & self-serving. Revealing more info. to the public (that it professes to “serve”) will simply be more glaring evidence of their incompetence. Although unwilling & unable to catch burglars who struck our home (leaving abundant fingerprints & a drop of blood); they appeased their sense of worth by threatening & intimidating motorists over imagined &/or manini offenses. I would advise you to NEVER EVER cut in front of a police car; even nicely & legally. (especially if you are female) You will be soundly intimidated & angrily threatened with a citation. Scary experience… Sad that we hardworking citizens (whose taxes help pay their salaries!) can’t respect,admire & feel safe around our HPD. We are instead, bullied by them and learn to fear them; and discover they don’t really even want to help most of us when we become victims of crime. Unlike some lucky Mainland neighborhoods, most of Oahu’s police officers are NOT community-minded, beloved members of the community!
Assistant Chief Axt, here is some community feedback for you: Give the people of Honolulu the same information about crimes happening in their neighborhoods that residents of 150 other cities across America already receive.
We’re grown-ups. We can handle it.