Editorial: Strengthen police, community ties

To a large extent, Honolulu has been spared the difficult social disconnect, exhibited in other American cities, between its police force and the people it serves. Overall, the socioeconomic and cultural diversity of the larger island population is represented in the officers who patrol the streets, and the practice of “community policing” is well established.

But there are big cracks that have opened in the past tumultuous year of pandemic and political upheaval, in Hawaii as well. Healing them will be difficult and complex, but the first steps are being taken, and that’s encouraging.

The divide over the case of Iremamber Sykap, the 16-year-old shot and killed by police in the culmination of a crime spree and car chase, was especially jarring on Friday, when the three officers implicated in the case made their initial appearance at Honolulu District Court.

More than 300 officers of the Honolulu Police Department and their supporters rallied outside.

“Free the three!” some of them chanted, as charges were read inside: second-degree murder for Officer Geoffrey Thom and attempted murder for Officers Gregory Fredeluces and Zackary Ah Nee. Nearby, advocates on behalf of Sykap called for “accountability.”

This is a controversial case. An Oahu grand jury declined to indict the trio after evidence was presented, but Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steven Alm subsequently filed the charges, to make the case at a later trial.

“Police officers, like everyone else, prosecutors included, need to be held accountable for their actions,” Alm wrote in an op-ed published Sunday in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, in explaining why he’s continuing the pursuit. “That means their actions should be investigated and, if appropriate, charges should be brought against them.”

To weigh whether the charges are justified, the process must play out in court, where the evidence will be weighed in a public setting. Having that transparency and accountability is one of the promises of our criminal justice system.

But another promise is a relationship of trust between the police and the people, and it’s important that citizens preserve their bonds with law enforcement as well. This is why the rally for the officers can be viewed as a sign of community goodwill, a crucial element that should be reinforced beyond the Sykap case.

Additionally, a promising partnership is forming in response to a spike in crime in Waikiki. As the coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions wane, tourists have been streaming back to Hawaii.

Police have noted more reports of property crime, nuisance complaints about the homeless and about panhandling on the streets of Waikiki. The district is the city’s first to reinstitute citizen patrols since the pandemic, joining police on weekly walks through the neighborhood.

It also will resume regular “Coffee with a Cop” sessions where residents can ask questions of police commanders and raise concerns; the first is set for 5:30 p.m. July 9 at Starbucks, 2255 Kuhio Ave.

Special events, such as a June 23 public safety conference hosted by the Hawaii Lodging &Tourism Association, also advance efforts. Some of the new and welcome police-community linkages such as the Crisis, Outreach, Response and Engagement (CORE) program were highlighted there.

Police have been bearing up under a staffing shortage — 279 vacancies across HPD — and have stepped up recruitment efforts. Clearly, community collaborations are key to success in stemming rising crime.

For the long term, the optimal public-safety formula requires a police force responsive to community needs and neighbors who are there to assist. That’s the kind of balanced relationship Honolulu must strive to maintain.