BIG ISLAND BOASTS NEW ARSENAL TO BATTLE 'ICE'

An Official Suggests Amending Hawaii's Constitution To Make Wiretapping Easier

WAIKOLOA RESORT, Hawaii -- A year after the Big Island's first methamphetamine
summit, the island has more money, more manpower and more programs in place or
coming soon to fight "ice," speakers told the second annual Hawaii Island Meth
Summit yesterday.

"This will be the first community in the United States that will wipe out ice,"
predicted U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.

But since much of the beefed-up effort is still in the pipeline, details remain
to be worked out.

Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna reported that his department has initiated 353 ice
cases since last year, recovered 12.6 pounds of methamphetamine worth $1.15
million and made 200 arrests.

"We caught a 15-year-old who had 16 grams (about half an ounce) of ice in his
backpack," Mahuna said. The drug is valued at $200 per gram, Mahuna said,
making the contents of the boy's backpack worth $3,200.

Billy Kenoi, Mayor Harry Kim's drug coordinator, noted the creation of a
six-member task force within the Police Department devoted solely to ice cases.

The department has also received $500,000 for a crime lab, so drug samples will
no longer have to be sent to Honolulu for testing, causing up to six months of
delay per case.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said the federal Drug Enforcement Administration plans to
increase staff on the island to four agents from one, and the U.S. Bureau of
Alcohol Firearms and Tobacco plans to open an office.

Inouye announced $4 million he obtained through the U.S. Department of Justice.

Kenoi said $1 million of that will go for law enforcement, $1 million for
treatment and $2 million for prevention and education.

A $2.2 million facility to treat 48 teenagers a year based on Hawaiian cultural
practices is being planned, Kenoi said.

Its major benefit will be treatment on the Big Island instead of sending
teenagers off island where they lose the support of their family, he said.

Rather than spend $30,000 on one staff person in a prevention program, the
county decided to distribute that money in $1,000 allotments to private
agencies for recreation programs, he said. Money will also be spent on
improving the county bus system to get kids to the programs, he said.

Kubo listed recommendations including amending the state Constitution to permit
easier wiretapping and to resume "walk and talk" police programs at airports,
banned by a 1992 state Supreme Court decision.

Kubo also called for education and treatment. "This is no time to be stingy,"
he said.

The ice summits are an outgrowth of a 2001 meeting between Inouye and Kim. "I
think your mayor can take a lot of credit for it," Inouye said. "You are the
leaders. You are the ones that started this crusade, and others are following."

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona Jr. will hold a statewide ice conference in
Honolulu Sept. 15-17.