POLICE: ISLE REAPING DRUG BUST BENEFITS

Operation Capsize Put a Major Dent in 'Ice,' Deputy Chief Says

Deputy Police Chief Harry Kubojiri said Friday that the Big Island is
still benefiting from Operation Capsize, which dismantled three major
methamphetamine rings in 2004-05.

The 13-month investigation resulted in 50 warrants, more than 50
arrests, 27 federal indictments, and seizures of over 27 pounds of
crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," and $1 million in cash.

While acknowledging that ice "is still a problem" on the Big Island,
Kubojiri told the Big Island Press Club at its annual scholarship
dinner in Hilo "we disrupted the flow" of the drug.

Last year, Hawaii county police made more than 900 ice-related
arrests, the most in several years, but the amount of drugs
confiscated in arrests has been declining.

Kubojiri said one side effect of Operation Capsize was an increase in
cocaine and crack cocaine coming into the islands.

"It's since leveled off," he noted.

In response to an audience question, Kubojiri said that it has been a
long time since police have raided any illegal laboratories for the
manufacture of methamphetamine and added that at the current time, he
is unaware of any ice labs on the island.

Kubojiri said that visitor industry doldrums caused by economic hard
times, plus the skyrocketing price of fuel, have also reduced the
flow of methamphetamine into the islands.

"With the closing of ATA and Aloha airlines, we've seen decreases of
people bringing it in on their bodies," he said.

Asked if sees any differences in the danger of methamphetamine versus
the danger of marijuana, or if he has any philosophical differences
on how each should be enforced, he said, "We have medical marijuana.
That's all I want to say about that."

He did, however, say that toxicology reports on people killed in
traffic accidents indicate a wide number of intoxicants in the bodies
of victims. He said that while those statistics do not necessarily
establish what caused the accidents, it should be inferred that all
illegal drugs are dangerous and that drug abuse prevention should start early.

"I think education in general has a lot to do with it," he said.
"There are a lot of social programs that will help get these people
though. Young people also need to be educated on the dangers of
crystal methamphetamine."

In addition, Kubojiri demonstrated a Taser X26. He said the law
enforcement model of the electronic control device has a range of 35
feet. He shot a barb into a sheet of aluminum foil. The projectile
blinked like Christmas tree lights after hitting its target.

Kubojiri also showed how the Taser could be used to deliver follow-up
shocks to unruly suspects. The barrel end of the gun-like apparatus
lit up and the device made a noise perhaps best described as sounding
like a click beetle on steroids.

The department bought 450 of the nonlethal stun guns last year.