CITIZENS TO TACKLE METH ISSUE

KAPOLEI -- Citizen patrol groups will spend part of this Friday at a
seminar learning how to protect their neighborhoods from drug pushers
and users.

The Honolulu Police Department's District 8 Community Policing Team
is sponsoring the region's first Crystal Meth Awareness training
seminar at the Kapolei Golf Course Clubhouse, in what officials say
is an effort to educate neighborhood patrols about the effects of the
highly addictive drug, known locally as ice, on individual users and
communities.

The seminar, scheduled to run from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., will host about
55 groups made up of nearly 200 people, according to Officer Tony
Pacheco of the Kapolei Police Station. Members of the patrol groups
will be schooled on a variety of meth issues that they will then take
back to their groups and neighbors "to help spread the word," Pacheco said.

"By getting this information out, we're going to teach them how to
combat this problem," Pacheco explained. "I expect the awareness
levels to be at a higher level after the seminar. If we get the
information out, then the neighborhoods can start to blossom, be more
safe and be all-around better places."

"The seminar will bring some awareness of what meth can do to a
person," added Officer Halani Barboza, a Makakilo resident. "It's a
big problem in Hawaii in general, so we always hope for a decline.

"But this is part of the education we need to offer in order to see a decline."

Participating with police officers in the seminar will be
representatives from the office of the Attorney General and the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Anthony Williams, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA
Honolulu office, said residents should be aware of the many forms of
meth labs and behaviors associated with meth users.

"First and foremost, the public should be aware of the dangers of
meth labs," Williams said. "Meth labs are extremely toxic and may
have explosive effects due to the dangerous chemicals needed to make
crystal methamphetamine. Residents should be aware that meth labs can
be located anywhere -- in homes, hotel rooms and vehicles.

"Some signs of meth use are inability to sleep, increased sensitivity
to noise, confusion, mood disturbances, tooth decay -- called the
'meth mouth' -- paranoia and hallucinations."

Barbara Gaboya, a member of the Honokai Hale/Nanakai Gardens
Citizens' On Patrol Group, said 10 of their members would attend the seminar.

"It is our desire to become educated on crystal methamphetamine so
that we will be able to better identify this illegal activity in our
neighborhood," Gaboya said. "We are hoping to learn what signs to
look for if we suspect someone of manufacturing this drug out of
their house. In addition, we would like to learn how this drug
affects a person's disposition.

"All in all," she continued, "anything that we learn at this training
seminar will make us better eyes and ears for the police department."