THREE YEARS AGO, MESSAGE IN HAPPY VALLEY WAS SAME

I apologize if my Sept. 30 letter detailing the Maui Police Department's dismal
record in handling drugs in our community offended MPD Assistant Chief Gary
Yabuta (Letters, Oct. 3), but I stand by every word of it.

Instead of refuting the messenger who has accurate news, the MPD would do well
to listen to what what kind of service and protection the community feels it is
getting from the Police Department.

Edited out of my letter was the fact that I went to my neighborhood community
board complaining about a drug dealer and was told to forget about getting any
relief - that over the years police did nothing to get rid of other dealers in
that neighborhood.

The Oct. 2 issue of The Maui News had an article about a community meeting
where people said exactly what I said. I interviewed residents in Happy Valley
more than three years ago and they said the same things as today. Three years
to clean up a situation? That's a disgrace.

I can assure those in Maui's more affluent areas who feel safe or removed from
the drug problem that the odds are very high they will be impacted by it as
victims of a theft or a motor vehicle accident with a driver under the
influence of any combination of alcohol, marijuana, crystal methamphetamine,
cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or other designer drugs.

Jerome Kellner

Wailuku