YOUTH CRIME, DRUG USE UP ON BIG ISLE

Police Seek 1 Percent Budget Boost To Fight Crime

HILO -- Crime is up, but Hawaii County police and prosecutors are
trying to hold the line on their budgets.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri proposed a 1 percent increase in the
$53.1 million budget he presented to the County Council Finance
Committee on Tuesday, and County Prosecuting Attorney Jay Kimura cut
last year's $9.2 million budget by 12 percent to $7.9 million.

The council's budget workshops wrap up today with, among others,
meetings regarding the departments of Parks and Recreation, and
Environmental Management. The hearings begin at 9 a.m. at the County
Building in Hilo, with the public also able to testify via
videoconference from the Kona and Waimea council offices.

Juvenile drug use and crime is up dramatically, according to a report
presented to the council Tuesday by the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

"There's a lot of opportunity for improvement," said Prosecuting
Attorney Jay Kimura. "It's the perfect time for the county to pull
together, work together."

Juvenile arrests for liquor violations rose from 86 in 2007 to 118 in
2008. DUI arrests for juveniles rose from 145 to 158, while DUI
arrests for all ages dropped slightly from 1,410 in 2007 to 1,395 in 2008.

Sixty-seven percent of fatal crashes in fiscal year 2007-08 were
alcohol-related, compared to 62 percent the prior year.
Traffic-related fatalities as a percent of population are double the
state rate.

"Alcohol-related crashes on our island are extremely high and it's
going up slightly," Kimura said.

Juvenile arrests for promotion of a detrimental drug rose from 143 to
148. Juvenile arrests for third degree assault jumped from 54 in 2007
to 81 in 2008. Juvenile theft arrests remained stable -- 110 to 108.
Shoplifting arrests rose from 127 to 162.

Domestic violence arrests rose from 643 to 668 and domestic
protective orders rose from 1,201 to 1,211.

Hawaii County's domestic protective orders per 1,000 population are
nearly double the rates of those on Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

The Police Department Criminal Investigations Section investigated
2,246 crimes on the east side of the island and 871 crimes on the
west side in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to data
presented to the council.

That was a 6 percent increase in burglaries, 8 percent increase in
thefts and 2 percent decrease in financial crimes for East Hawaii and
13 percent increase in burglaries, 51 percent decrease in thefts and
56 percent increase in financial crimes for West Hawaii.

Marijuana arrests were on the minds of Puna Councilwoman Emily
Naeole-Beason and North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell. They asked
both Kimura and Kubojiri why the county is still arresting and
prosecuting marijuana growers despite a 2008 ballot initiative
declaring it the county's lowest priority for enforcement.

"Are you doing what the voters asked you not to do," asked Greenwell,
"or is the resolution the county passed just worthless paper?"

Kimura said he can't follow the low enforcement initiative because he
believes it violates state and federal law. Kubojiri went further.

"The federal government has cut funds for the entire state because
Hawaii County doesn't enforce marijuana laws," he said.