DRUG ACTION TEAM NEWS

The Drug Action Team is composed of several groups, one of which is
Enforcement. Co-chaired by KPD Lt. Eric Shibuya and Drug Court
Administrator Alton Amimoto, the following article reflects the
members of the committee and a short informational briefing on what
their agencies do.

The Kaua'i Police Department's Narcotics/Vice Unit is comprised of one
lieutenant, two sergeants and 12 investigators. Currently, the unit is
operating short-staffed with one lieutenant, one sergeant, four
investigators and one canine officer/investigator.

The unit focuses on all drug cases from the street dealers to drug
trafficking organizations within the county and throughout Hawai'i.
Past investigations have led to cases on the Mainland and foreign countries.

The unit also seizes assets such as houses, property, cars and boats
that are bought with drug monies. These items are then submitted for
forfeiture, with the monies resulting from auction sales going back to
the department for further investigations.

The community should know that drug cases are not overnight
investigations. It is very time consuming and covert. Investigations
could lead to weeks, months and even years worth of intense work,
compiling evidence and proof, before a person is arrested and brought
to prosecution.

Should you suspect drug dealing in your neighborhood, feel free to
contact Shibuya at 241-1701 or police dispatch at 241-1711.

The county Department of Liquor Control is a partner in the countywide
effort to curb drug abuse. Alcohol is widely acknowledged as the most
accessible drug and first drug of choice of teens.

Through enforcement of liquor laws relating to minors and educational
programs the department is partners with the department of education, other
law enforcement agencies and community groups to educate minors on the
dangers of underage drinking. (Contact: 241-4966.)

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of
Conservation and Resources Enforcement is responsible for enforcement
activities of the DLNR. The division, with full police powers,
enforces all state laws and rules involving state lands, parks,
historical sites, forest reserves, aquatic life and wildlife areas,
coastal zones, conservation districts, shores, as well as county
ordinances involving county parks.

The division also enforces laws relating to firearms, ammunition and
dangerous weapons. (Contact: 274-3521.) For after-hours reporting of any
DLNR-related enforcement concern, call 808-643-DLNR (3567).

The US Attorney's Office Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee was
established on July 21, 1981 in all 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices by
order of the U.S. Attorney General. LECC provides a networking focus
for law enforcement executives committed to the ideal of cooperation
and coordination at all levels of local, state and federal law
enforcement.

Facilitation of communications is supported through committees and
joint operations. The informal contacts made on these occasions
substantially contribute to subsequent problem solving. Police chiefs
and sheriffs are brought together with state and federal enforcers,
regulators and prosecutors. This approach to problem solving has
resulted in a number of task force operations directed at myriad
violations of federal statutes ranging from narcotics to white collar
crime.

In addition, the LECC sponsors, or co-sponsors, no-or low-cost
training seminars addressing various subjects pertinent to law
enforcement officials. These seminars are made available to all
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Topics include
asset forfeiture and equitable sharing, gang activities, clandestine
laboratories, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
investigations and prosecutions, and other contemporary issues.

On Dec. 1, the face of drug prosecution on Kaua'i changed. Prosecuting
Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho and First Deputy Lori Wada, backed by
a team of skilled deputies, were sworn in and took charge of the
county Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

Guided by the principle of "pono kaulike," or equal rights and justice
for all, they took their oaths of office during a difficult and
tumultuous time for our community. Drug-related criminal activity
often increases during times of economic trouble and high
unemployment. Nonetheless, the new team is determined to work
collaboratively with the Kaua'i Police Department and our community to
root out, prosecute and convict the drug dealers who hurt our
neighborhoods.

We will absolutely devote efforts at the grass roots level to get to
the source of the drug problem and make systemic changes, so that
dealers know that tough penalties will be imposed if they attempt to
infiltrate our neighborhoods.

We advocate for justice for the victims and seek to ensure that all of
our children grow up in a safe and drug-free environment.

We are also committed to working with programs like the Kaua'i Drug
Court so that low-level and non-violent first-time offenders who have
proven their desire and willingness to work hard to change their lives
and free themselves from the burdens of a destructive addiction have
an avenue for doing so. Our tools are integrity, truth in charging and
fairness in prosecution.

We are looking towards an era of innovation and community-based prosecution.
Our goal is a safe Kaua'i, an island free of ice and other dangerous drugs.
Through collaboration and commitment, we can achieve these goals. (Contact:
241-1888.)

The Kaua'i Drug Court was started in 2004. The idea was to start a
diversion program for felony-level substance abuse offenders. If
people were arrested for drugs or related offenses, they were able to
enter the drug court program as an alternative to prosecution, and
have their charges dismissed upon successful completion.

The program has evolved to the point that we now take persons that are
about to have their probation supervision revoked, and we have people
sentenced directly to drug court. We also have a juvenile program, and
help with case management with other court related cases. Unique to
the Kaua'i Drug Court is the intense supervision, where every client
has a curfew, and is drug tested regularly and randomly, even on
nights and weekends and holidays.

We utilize Global Positioning Systems technology and can track our
clients online. With the assistance of the police, public defender and
prosecutor, we can sanction clients that violate rules immediately,
some with community service work, some with short-term jail.

We help them become employed and help them go to school if they
desire. We empower our clients to succeed where they might have failed
in the past. They participate in community service work, assisting in
cleaning and painting our adopted Hanama'ulu Beach Park four times a
year. Currently we are working with the Adopt-a-Park program to do
anti-graffiti maintenance at several county parks.

To date, we have had 71 adult graduates, and five juvenile graduates. Only
one adult graduate has been re-convicted for a felony drug offense.
(Contact: 482-2365.)

These are the members of the Law Enforcement Committee. Some of the
goals of the committee are to foster improved communication and
greater cooperation between agencies. Other goals are to improve
public education as to the specific duties of each agency. With the
large amounts of information available, we need to encourage people to
become more aware of these great public agencies and resources to
combat underage drinking, drug use and unlawful behavior.