COUNCIL SPLIT ON ACCEPTING FEDERAL MONEY FOR MARIJUANA ERADICATION

HILO - Members of the Hawaii County Council are on different pages
regarding whether the Big Island government should accept a federal grant
for the Police Department's marijuana eradication program.

Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna reported this week the county stands to
receive a $282,000 federal Drug Enforcement Administration grant for the
island's marijuana eradication program, which presently is low on funding
and operating on fumes.

The program gives the Police Department the required capital to use
helicopters to locate illegal marijuana crops.

The council last year voted to not include any grant funding in this fiscal
year's budget for the program because of complaints raised by eradication
opponents. The biggest complaint is residents' rights are infringed upon,
some believe, because police fly the helicopters too close to the ground.

Although the council opted to exclude grant funding from the budget for the
program, it is still obligated to vote on whether to accept the money.

Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann, Kohala, said Thursday he'd "much rather see
the money being supervised by the county rather than rejecting it and
having the federal government do whatever they wish."

Mahuna said Wednesday that if the county doesn't accept the money, the DEA
will likely take over the program and operate it whatever way it wants. The
Police Department, he said, at least has to abide by guidelines set forth
by the council.

"If this is going to be an active form of marijuana eradication in our
area, I'd rather our police force be in control of it," Hoffmann said.

Hilo Councilman Donald Ikeda said he "believes in marijuana eradication."

"I would accept the money," he said.

South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford, who favors marijuana use for medical
purposes, said she's "torn" on the issue.

"The thought of the federal government coming in to do the search ... that
concerns me," she said. "I think (the DEA) are going to be a lot more harsh
than our Police Department."

Ford also said she is highly concerned with "people growing unbelievably
huge amounts of marijuana."

"We need to continue eradicating that kind of stuff," she said.

Ka'u Councilman Bob Jacobson, who submitted the proposal last year to
remove the grant funding from the budget, said he, naturally, will vote
against accepting the grant.

"Marijuana eradication is not a priority," he said, adding the police
should be kept busy with other aspects of law enforcement other than
searching for marijuana.

Hilo Councilman Stacy Higa said he plans to continue "to keep an open mind
on this one."

"I have a few questions I want to ask the Police Department," he said.
"Since it is a Class 1 drug, I still think we need to enforce the laws of
the country, but I want to make sure people's rights aren't infringed on."

Higa said since he's been on the council, he's never received a full
briefing from the police on how the program operates. He wants the
department to provide a full briefing on the issue before making a decision.

Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole said she's likely voting against accepting
the grant.

"A lot of people in my district, they're treated really, really mean," she
said. "It's almost like terrorism. Police think they have all this clout
and that people like this. ... Because of this treatment, I don't think I'm
going to vote for it.

"It's nothing personal to the cops ... but there's a lot of things going on
in my community and they all come crying to me," Naeole said.

When it comes time for the council to vote on the issue, Hamakua Councilman
Dominic Yagong said he's "not sure" what he'll do.

Because the council's plate has been full recently, Yagong said he hasn't
had much time to give the subject any thought.

Mayor Harry Kim said Wednesday he doesn't want the DEA to take over the
program and that it would be better for the county to accept the grant and
allow the Police Department to continue it.