- Mission
- Community Policing Responsibilities
- School Resource Officers
- HI-PAL
- Contact Information
- How to Organize a Neighborhood or Business Watch Program
- Other Programs
Mission
To form a partnership with the community in order to create a safe and secure environment.
Community Policing Responsibilities
Community Police Officers are problem solvers at heart responsible for developing partnerships within the community in an effort to create a safe and secure environment. This can be accomplished through community mobilization, crime prevention efforts and problem solving (i.e., Neighborhood Watch, Citizen Patrol, etc.). Through mobilization, Community Police Officers can facilitate a community’s efforts to create positive changes within their neighborhood.
School Resource Officers
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program was established on the Big Island in 2003. It is a collaborative effort by law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents and the community to offer law-related educational programs in the schools in an effort to reduce crime, drug abuse, violence and provide a safe school environment.
The SROs deal with crime on campus, teach informative classes to students, provide law related counseling and are liaisons between the school and the Police Department. Most important, they are positive role models.
SROs are assigned to:
Hilo Intermediate School
Waiākea Intermediate School
Honokaʻa High and Intermediate School
Pāhoa High and Intermediate School
Keaʻau Middle School
Konawaena Middle School
Waimea Intermediate School
Waikoloa Elementary and Intermediate School
HI-PAL (Hawaiʻi Isle Police Activities League)
The HI-PAL program was established on the Big Island in 1980. It provides social and athletic activities for the youth of Hawaiʻi between the ages of 5 and 17.
HI-PAL comes under the jurisdiction of each district commander, whose patrol and community police officers, with community member assistance, provide positive activities for youths that teach moral and social values, such as sportsmanship, fair play, respect for authority, self discipline and the benefits of hard work, all while having fun. HI-PAL also reaches out to youths who are considered “at risk” due to economic, geographical or social situations.
Learn more on our HI-PAL page.
Contact Information
Community Policing Coordinators
Hamakua, North Hilo, South Hilo, Puna
(808) 961-2350
North Kohala, South Kohala, Kona, Kaʻu
(808) 326-4646, Ext. 259
Community Policing Officers
South Hilo (808) 961-8121
Puna (808) 965-2716
North Hilo (808) 962-2120
Hāmākua (808) 775-7533
Kaʻū (808) 939-2520
Kona (808) 326-4646, Ext. 257 and 258
South Kohala (808) 887-3080
North Kohala (808) 889-6540
How To Organize A Home or Business Neighborhood Watch Program
Residents or businesses using the following steps can organize a Neighborhood or Business Watch Program:
- Contact between law enforcement (Community Policing) and the neighborhood or business begins the process. The Community Police officer can provide information and offer guidance to all interested parties on how to set up the program.
- The group will be asked to conduct a survey as a means of determining community problems and/or major issues of interest to the community.
- The interested group is asked to host a meeting to:
- Review identified problems.
- Focus on crime issues in the neighborhood or business area.
- Help the community develop strategies to deal with identified problems or issues.
- Select a Coordinator and Block Captains.
- Schedule the next meeting and develop plans for future meetings.
Other Programs
Has your home or business been burglarized? Have you been a victim of theft on numerous occasions? If so, you may wish to have a Community Police Officer advise you by conducting a home or business security check. These checks are conducted as a means of providing preventive measures that hopefully will lessen your chances of being victimized again. Community Police Officers are knowledgeable in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. By preparing your environment properly, you can make your home or business safer.
Community-Traffic Awareness Partnership (C-TAP)
The Community-Traffic Awareness Partnership program is an activity involving a partnership with the police and communities to educate and encourage safe driving within designated neighborhoods. Community members hold signs warning motorists of the dangers of speeding in their neighborhood. A “Speed Board” display is used by the police to show motorists how fast they are going. Police will follow up weeks later with actual enforcement to ensure that motorists comply with the speed limit.
For information on other programs, see section on Community Relations.
