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STAR-ADVERTISER / 2004
Joseph Behlert, a security guard hired by the city, stood watch on one of the roads that lead to the Haiku Stairs.
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply is reminding the public that the Haiku Stairs trail remains closed and that it is illegal to access it and hike there.
Security for the area is being increased and violators will be cited. Those issued citations could face fines of up $2,000 and jail time, the board said in a release today.
There were 182 warnings issued in March, down from a high of 337 in January. But that’s still too high, especially when Gov. David Ige and Mayor Kirk Caldwell have issued directives restricting movement to essential travel, BWS Manager and Chief Engineer Ernest Lau said in a release.
Five citations were issued in the vicinity of the area in March, but some of those may have involved traffic violations, BWS spokeswoman Kathleen Pahinui said.
“Access to the stairs is already off limits but there are those in our community that continue to willfully ignore the stay at home order,” Lau said. “This places not only the trespassers at risk, but also risks the safety and security of the surrounding community. This is not acceptable.”
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the water board had considered closing down and removing the stairs because it costs about $250,000 annually to hire security. Caldwell, meanwhile, is taking steps to have a third party operate and manage the stairs on an admission basis.
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