There were at least four drug-related assault cases in January before 46-year-old Bernard Graff was found unconscious in a Chinatown alley Jan. 28.

That attack apparently was also drug-related. Police arrested, but later released, a 36-year-old Waikiki man in connection with Graff's death.

Drug use and paranoia over being ripped off spurred a recent incident in which a man armed with a handgun strode through Aala Park threatening people. Police said he was hunting for the person who allegedly sold him bad drugs.

Similarly, a man was stabbed in the Smith Street parking lot by another man who claimed he sold him bad drugs.

Police have said that in a couple of incidents, men have been stabbed over $5 or $7.

At one point, people known to frequent areas where drugs were being sold were getting beaten simply for refusing to buy.

"These guys are down and hard up," said Lt. William Kato, who reviews these assault cases as they come in. "They're ripping each other off. Either I owe you or you sold bad stuff."

Recently, a man was stabbed at Modern Video on Hotel Street, apparently over drugs. Officers arrested a woman in connection with the stabbing. The man is reluctant to press charges however, as in many cases involving drugs or illegal activity.

"They're afraid to report," Kato said. The case probably wouldn't have come to light if officers hadn't walked in on the incident.

Because of the establishments -- bars, lounges, 24-hour video game rooms -- and the type of crowds they attract, assaults, robberies and thefts particularly among drug users and their buyers are commonplace.

Drugs, particularly crack cocaine -- the drug of choice among Downtown dealers, police say -- continues to flourish, but police continue to fight back with aggressive enforcement.

Since the beginning of the year, police have made almost 150 drug-related arrests, said Maj. Henry Lau, head of the Central Honolulu district.

Last year, there were 921 drug-related arrests -- 387 of those made by the bike detail. In 1995, 772 were arrested for drug-related offenses.

But simply putting offenders behind bars won't make the problem go away, Lau said. They need to undergo drug treatment and counseling so they don't return to the streets to resume their former lifestyles.

Community involvement and the willingness of residents to get involved in community patrols has helped revitalize downtown and help police curb criminal activity, Lau said.

It was reports from the community of blatant drug-dealing in and outside Two Jacks bar on Hotel Street that led to a search of the premises last weekend.

Police will continue to monitor such establishments and will seek to have them shut down if owners fail to monitor their tenants for illegal activities, Lau said.

Members of the Downtown Chinatown Task Force who approached police to consider video monitoring in Downtown are hoping it will become a permanent fixture.

Already, drug dealers and buyers appear to be avoiding the area where a test camera was set up at Hotel and Smith streets, Lau said. "The word is getting out."