CRIME VICTIMS AND WITNESSES FEAR
SUSPECTS ARE GROWING MORE
BRAZEN, UNDER A
CATCH-AND-RELEASE POLICY THAT
MANY SAY HAS TURNED PARTS OF
HONOLULU INTO LOST AND
LAWLESS ZONES.
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING.
I FOUND OUT COVID-ERA POLICIES
HAVE CONVERGED TO CREATE A
REVOLVING DOOR WHERE SUSPECTS
ARE OFTEN BACK ON THE STREET
WITHIN HOURS OF AN ARREST, AND
VICTIMS SAY THEY ARE STRIKING
AGAIN AND AGAIN.
JOHN FIELDING IS A LONGTIME
CATHOLIC CHURCH AND BOY SCOUTS
VOLUNTEER IN THE HEART OF
DOWNTOWN HONOLULU WHERE
CATERING TO THOSE IN NEED IS A
CORE MISSION. BUT FIELDING SAYS
A COVID CRIME, DRUG AND
VANDALISM WAVE DOWNTOWN HAS
PUSHED EVEN THE MOST
COMPASSIONATE TO THE BREAKING
POINT.
JOHN FIELDING, DOWNTOWN
GETTING ARRESTED FOR DRUG
DEALING, ALL RIGHT, OR EVEN
ASSAULT. AND I SEE THEM BACK ON
THE STREETS WITHIN AN HOUR OR
TWO. BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BE
HELD."
CANNOT BE HELD, POLICE TOLD HIM,
BECAUSE THE PROSECUTORS OFFICE
TOLD POLICE LET EM GO
FIELDING-"ACCORDING TO A NUMBER
OF THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT I
TALKED TO THEIR HANDS ARE TIED
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT NOTHING'S
HAPPENING."
POLICE CAN ONLY HOLD PEOPLE FOR
A MAX OF 48 HOURS, OR THEY'VE
GOT TO RELEASE PENDING
INVESTIGATION, CALLED RPI.
SOURCES SHOWED ME A PROSECTOR'S
OFFICE MEMO FROM LAST YEAR THAT
LIMITED CHARGING WHILE IN POLICE
CUSTODY TO
SUSPECTS CONSIDERED:
DANGEROUS, A CAREER CRIMINAL OR
PRE-TRIAL FELON, OR SOMEONE ON A
CRIME SPREE. ASSAULTS ON LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL GET A
CUSTODY CHARGE, AS WILL
BURGLARIES INVOLVING DWELLINGS,
ELDERS, ROMANTIC PARTNERS OR SEX
RELEASE PENDING INVESTIGATION.
HPD ACKNOWLEDGED IN A STATEMENT
THAT "LAST SUMMER THE ACTING
PROSECUTOR NARROWED
THE CATEGORIES OF SUSPECTS WHO
SHOULD BE BE DETAINED"
I ASKED STEVE ALM, WHO TOOK OVER
AS PROSECUTOR IN JANUARY, WHAT'S
GOING ON?
STEVE ALM, HONOLULU
PROSECUTOR-"WELL IT WASN'T MY
CHANGE IN PROCEDURES. THIS WAS
DONE LAST YEAR, IN RESPONSE TO
COVID AND TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH
CASES ARE REALLY HIGH PUBLIC
SAFETY MATTERS."
HE SAYS THERE WAS DOMINO EFFECT
AFTER LAST YEAR'S SUPREME COURT
ORDER TO RELEASE CERTAIN
DEFENDANTS FROM INCARCERATION
AND REDUCE THE POPULATION BEHIND
BARS DUE TO COVID RISK
ALM-"WHAT I'M HOPING IS AS
PEOPLE GET VACCINATED, WE'LL BE
ABLE TO CONVINCE THE COURT TO
HOLD MORE PEOPLE IN CUSTODY AT
OCCC, PENDING THEIR TRIALS. THE
MEMO ONLY REFERS TO WHICH CASES
ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO BE HELD IN CUSTODY.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO CHARGE,
YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE CASES
WHERE WE THINK THE PERSON HAS
COMMITTED A FELONY."
HPD TOLD ME "OUR DETECTIVES WORK
HARD TO PRESENT CASES THAT WILL
RESULT IN CHARGES."
SUSPECTS WHO DIDN'T USED TO GET
RELEASED QUITE AS QUICKLY.
BESIDES MORE ASSAULT AND
RELEASES, VICTIMS HAVE SEEN A
SLEW OF VANDALISM AND BURGLARY
ENCORES. SECOND DEGREE BURGLARY
-- THAT'S ANYTHING NOT INVOLVING
A HOME -- HAS BEEN RPID, SO
THAT'S ANY BUSINESS,
CHURCH OR NONPROFIT. LONGTIME
NEVER SEEN DOWNTOWN SO BAD.
FIELDING-"TOWN IS LIKE THE WILD
WILD WEST RIGHT NOW. SO WHEN I
TALK TO THESE CRIMINALS, THEY
TELL ME, OH, YEAH, WE'RE OKAY.
WELL,
WE'LL BE OUT IN A FEW HOURS. AND
THEY KNOW THAT THEY KNOW THAT
THEY CAN'T BE HELD. I HAD
ANOTHER PERSON WHO TOLD ME, I'LL
SEE YOU
IN A FEW HOURS. AND I WAS LIKE,
OH MY GOSH, YOU KNOW, WHAT AM I
SUPPOSED TO DO?"
HE'S FAR FROM ALONE. A VICTIM'S
POLL ON STOLEN STUFF HAWAII'S
FACEBOOK PAGE YIELDED HUNDREDS
MORE WITH THE SAME
CONCERN -- VICTIMS WHOSE
SUSPECTS WERE RPI'D AND THE
PENDING INVESTIGATION AND
PROSECUTION -- STILL IN THE
PENDING PILE.
MICHAEL KITCHENS, STOLEN STUFF
HAWAII-" WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS
THAT THE CRIMINALS THAT ARE
INVOLVED IN THEIR CASES ARE
NOT BEING CHARGED. THEY'RE NOT
BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WE'RE
SEEING MULTIPLE PEOPLE BEING
VICTIMIZED BY THE SAME PEOPLE
OVER AND OVER AGAIN."
COMING UP THIS WEEK AS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING FOLLOWS UP:
CHANGES THE NEW PROSECUTOR IS
MAKING TO GET TOUGHER ON CRIME.
A WEED AND SEED PROGRAM MAY BE
IN STORE FOR DOWNTOWN. AND
THE LINGERING IMPACT OF A
JUDICIARY AND JURY TRIAL
BACKLOG; AND A FREEZE ON BENCH
WARRANTS, PAROLE VIOLATIONS AND
DRUG
TESTING. THAT'S COMING UP ON
ALWAYS INVESTIGATING.
JOE:
FROM SUPPLYING SCHOOLS,
RESTAURANTS AND STORES WITH
FRESH-BAKED GOODS.. TO PROVIDING
FACTORY TOURS TO ELEMENTARY