POLICE INCAPABLE OF ELIMINATING NEIGHBORHOOD DRUG DEALERS

I commend the Kahekili Terrace residents who rallied against drugs and the
follow-up demonstration on Kaahumanu Avenue (The Maui News, Sept. 25 and 26).
Unfortunately, my experience and that of others show that the chances of any
positive change are almost nonexistent.

A drug creep rented a house in a neighborhood where I owned a house. I called
police with my suspicions he was a drug dealer and I was told that they had in
fact just busted him. He was still around months later. When I called police
for an update, I learned that he cut a deal by snitching on another drug dealer
and avoided jail.

Every member of the Maui Police Department should be ashamed at failing to
protect and serve the residents of Happy Valley and other law-abiding citizens
of Maui. But they only offer lame excuses like "we can't make a bust unless we
see the crime being committed" and "there's no money for undercover work."

Can't the police work with the Maui County Council to do something? That's
laughable. With one or perhaps two notable exceptions, council members are
focused on making sure the island's big-money interests are served, not
protecting citizens whose lives are wrecked by drug creeps. What else can we
expect from a lawmaking body with a member who twice has been convicted of
drunken driving?

Jerome Kellner

Wailuku