POLICE AND COUNTY PRIORITIES ALL WRONG

Editor:

Last Saturday morning I was headed north into Kailua for Christmas shopping
and come upon one of the many recent seat belt checkpoints. It happened to
be right in the midst of one of the worst traffic bottlenecks between
Captain Cook and Kainaliu. One officer was positioned on the makai side as
the spotter and three other officers had the entire road tied up with at
least eight cars 'semi' - pulled over.

I was then approached by an officer who proceeded to inform me that I did
not have my seatbelt fastened "correctly" and that it was illegal in Hawaii
to wear the shoulder portion under my arm. I was also enlightened to the
fact that "I may as well not wear a seatbelt at all if I wore it
incorrectly." I was then gallantly informed that I would be "cut one break
this time" and directed to pull back out into the traffic. More easily said
than done as the number of "offending vehicles" were hemmed in double along
the crowded roadside. During the rest of my trip town ward I passed three
additional checkpoints manned with no less than three officers each.

I am appalled at this use of our already "stretched thin" police force. I do
understand that there is a quota of tickets issued monthly for revenue, and
also of the dual role of checkpoints to weed out those with no insurance,
illegal tags, and driving under the influence - but - this was early on a
Saturday morning. How many drunks and drug addicts are even awake at this
time?

I live in South Kona where it seems as though every third home is an "ice
house" and crackheads abound.

I work in a public school where the number of children placed in foster care
due to parental drug abuse is phenomenal. Drug dealing, drug and child
abuse, violence and burglary are rampant on this island, especially in South
Kona. And yet the choice has been made to utilize our police force in this
inane manner.

I don't know about you folks, but I feel it is a personal choice on how safe
to keep myself in a motor vehicle; however, I have no choice when the
crackheads are threatening my home and family. This seems to be where I am
dependent on police protection.

Officers, please use your time and energy to keep us all safe by getting
some of these dangerous drug addicts off the streets and out of my backyard!
Let me worry about my car's restraints.

Lisa Vail

Honauanau