'GREEN HARVEST' FAR FROM A BUST

Marijuana Seizure Program A Success

Hilo, Ha wai'i - Hawaii County auditors this week concluded that the
two-decade-old policy of seizing marijuana plants has helped stem the flow
of the illegal crop to Honolulu and the Mainland.

In the first comprehensive look at what is commonly known as "Green
Harvest," county auditors concluded that the search-and-destroy missions
work well.

But there are problems, such as reporting discrepancies and incomplete
police reports from West Hawaii, according to analyst Rory Flynn of the
auditor's office.

During 1997, Flynn said police overestimated by 8,000 the number of plants
seized.

Police officials have not responded since the audit was issued Monday, but
Flynn said the department told him the miscount was due to a "typographical
error."

Despite the problems, the report said the performance of the program
"merits the confidence of the county council, respective to the future of
federal grants."

Hawaii, despite ranking 47th in size among the 50 states, has consistantly
led the nation in the number of seized marijuana plants, Flynn said,
annually ranking first in plots eradicated from 1994 to 1997.

"Hawaii regularly ranked among the top six states in the number of arrests,
and the top 20 states in the number of weapons and assets seized," he
reported.

The Big Island recorded almost 70 percent of the state's 1997 seizures, 57
percent of those in 1996. The overview by county Legislative Auditor
Connie Kiriu concluded Big island police "effectively met the (program's)
stated goals."

The audit concluded that the county appropriately spent $992,000 in federal
funds for the program between 1993-97 and that there were internal controls
for the disposition of confiscated plants, cash seizures and dealing with
public complaints.

But critics said the audit failed to recognize the side effects of "Green
Harvest," claiming the vacuum created by marijuana eradication has opened
the Big Island to crack cocaine and tar heroin.

Pro-hemp activist Roger Christie of Puna called the audit "a pure whitewash
study." He did, however, say the audit reinforces allegations of police
abuse.

Neither Police Chief Wayne Carvelho, a strong proponent of the program, nor
officials of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency responded to calls for
comment on the audit.

Christie is among those seeking to recall Mayor Stephen Yamashiro and six
of the nine county council members.