By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Custodians Chucky Kamaunu, left, and Jon Akutagawa
spruce up the grounds at the Mayor Wright Homes project in Kalihi.
‘Weed & Seed’
uproots crime
Agencies are working together
By Rod Ohira
to help Kalihi-Palama folks take
back their neighborhood
Star-BulletinStarting today, troublemakers arrested for misdemeanor offenses in Honolulu's designated "Weed & Seed" area could be banned from returning to Kalihi, Palama and Chinatown for a year or more.
"We're going to be requesting high bail, $1,000 or more in some cases, and geographical restrictions as conditions for release to get rid of troublemakers," said Deputy Prosecutor Cecelia Chang, Weed & Seed coordinator for the city prosecutor's office.
Judge Fa'auuga To'oto'o, who volunteered for what will likely be a six-month Weed & Seed court assignment, began hearing misdemeanor cases today, said District Court administrative Judge Marcia J. Waldorf.
"What we're targeting are individuals known to police who hang out in the area and cause trouble," Chang said. "The misdemeanor arrests could be for harassment, theft, assault or vandalism.
"We're not looking for the occasional visitor to the area who makes a mistake, although the same restrictions could apply depending on the crime."
The court calendar may be extended to felony arrests by June, Chang said.
"Options like geographic restrictions have always been available, but the difference is it'll be more closely monitored," Waldorf said.
The tough stand is part of the Weed & Seed strategy that partners federal, state and county law enforcement and social service agencies with private businesses, and nonprofit and community-based organizations to help residents reclaim and rebuild their neighborhoods.The U.S. Justice Department oversees the program.
The "weeding out" of criminal activity in the targeted area sets up the "seeding" work of social agencies, which includes prevention, intervention, treatment and economic revitalization programs.
In Kalihi-Palama, the "weed" effort began with an August 1998 police sting operation resulting in 40 arrests in a "drug triangle" that includes Pua Lane, Kanoa Park and Akepo Lane.
Unlike 10 previous police sting operations over a five-year period in the area, the August bust resulted in federal prosecution of 10 sellers under the "Safe Streets Act."
All were prohibited from returning to Kalihi-Palama and the Chinatown area while awaiting trial, sending a message to residents of the state's only designated Weed & Seed site.
Sivia Thompson, his girlfriend and sister no longer feel wary about a nightly walk on Pua Lane in Palama.
"Guys used to be out here drinking, making loud noise, trying to start arguments when you walk by or be fighting among themselves, and selling drugs," Thompson said. "But now they're gone and it's less violent, more calm."
In the eight months since the August bust, Weed & Seed has had a major impact at Mayor Wright Homes, a federal housing project managed by the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii.
"Once the weed side got started and they got the major drug dealers off the street, residents began feeling safer," said Maile Kanemaru, Weed & Seed social agencies coordinator. "We're now at a point of developing leadership to take back the community."
The weed agencies are also moving forward with expanded enforcement and prosecution of criminal activity within the Kalihi-Palama and Chinatown area.
Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle said Weed & Seed offers strategies that could work in other local communities.
Federal prosecution provides the big hammer in the Weed & Seed area, as evidenced by the decreasing drug activity in Palama and around Mayor Wright Homes.
"It's certain and quick," U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said of federal prosecution. "They're not arrested and back out on the streets.
District Judge Fa'auuga To'oto'o today ordered a man accused of misdemeanor threatening to stay out of the designated "Weed & Seed" area as a condition for pretrial release. Judge tells man to
avoid 'Weed & Seed' areaMinh Van Nguyen was arrested Saturday in Chinatown for allegedly threatening to shoot a shop owner and his family. Today's case was the first for the new "Weed & Seed" court.
Deputy Public Defender Timothy Ho, representing Nguyen, argued that geographical restriction as a condition for pretrial release unfairly targets certain people.
"The state is seeking to choose what kind of people can be in the area," Ho said. "I can see it for prostitutes and drug dealers but not the type of misdemeanors that can happen anywhere else.
"If (Nguyen) was arrested in Hawaii Kai, there would be no restrictions. What about a someone who resides in the area? You're uprooting people."
Ho expects challenges to geographical bans.
Rod Ohira, Star-Bulletin
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Jonathan Pingkhan, 7, will play at the new playground at
Mayor Wright Homes. The community is also getting a
new park, a community house, a recreation room and more
opportunities to socialize.
Mayor Wright Homes
By Rod Ohira
making a comeback
Star-BulletinFIVE-YEAR-OLD Kalani has so far resisted the temptation to try out the playground equipment at the new Children's Park at Mayor Wright Homes.
Judging from the condition of the orange construction fence surrounding the park, which will be dedicated May 19, others already have tested out the equipment.
The park, a new community house, first-time youth sports program, a recreation room, weekly dance nights and family get-togethers -- more than 80 people attended the most recent affair -- are what the rebirth of a community is all about.
The "seeds" of the "Weed & Seed" program have taken hold at Mayor Wright Homes.
"They've weeded out the bad element, and we as a community, with the help of service agencies, have started the seeding," said Patrick Clemente, 45, a Mayor Wright Tenant Association board member.
"The housing used to be so dependent on outside agencies doing things for us. Now, we're learning to partner with them so they don't have to baby us. The attitude is like, 'We want to do it, show us how.' "
The Weed & Seed community house, dedicated Jan. 30, offers youngsters a place to study, receive tutoring or just talk story.
"It's a safe house," said Sgt. John Kauwenaole of the Kalihi police district's Weed & Seed team. "They decommissioned a building and made a two-bedroom apartment available to us for a community house."
The community house has received computers from Bank of Hawaii and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a television, VCR and office furniture from Tesoro Hawaii.
Clients of Drug Court are working with Weed & Seed police officers to set up a computer center at the house.
"It's a true collaboration," said Maile Kanemaru, the program's service agency coordinator.
"The first step is (the) weed side. They worked collectively to get the dealers out of there. ... That inspired the social services agencies.
"Because funding is tighter, we're trying new strategies. We're going for base hits, not home runs, by working together."
Kauwenaole has seen a drastic change in the last eight months since "weed" efforts got rid of the dealers, who were boldly selling crystal methamphetamine and cocaine to motorists from the sidewalk.
"There used to be a large gap between the community and police," Kauwenaole said. "We're seeing now that the community trusts us more.
"The area's not crime-free yet, but it's not as visible anymore."
Community policing is the bridge that links the weed and seed elements by helping residents develop solutions to violent and drug-related crime.
"I was a bad kid," Clemente said, "but now I'm trying to prove to my community that people can change.
"Pua Lane was a big drugstore and everyone knew it. Weed eliminated the dealers and gave us all peace of mind. We don't have to worry now about someone offering our kids drugs to sell.
"A lot of it had to do with peer pressure, and a lot of tenants were scared. Now, some people like me don't even have to lock our doors at night. I feel very safe."
Clemente has seen a dramatic drop in domestic violence, gang activity and graffiti since the weed action took down the sellers.
"The majority of what happened here was drug-related," he said.
There are 365 units at Mayor Wright Homes. Residents are mostly Laotians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Samoan, Tongan and Hawaiian.
"It's a melting pot," Clemente said. "We try to translate the informational fliers we send out to let everyone know what's happening.
"I know people are reading it now, because we had our biggest turnout at our last Family Night."
Weed & Seed is expanding, stepping up weed efforts in the downtown-Chinatown area to clear the way for more seeding.
"It's not just about beautification, but economic development," Kanemaru said. "What we're telling them is if you like the quality of life, this is what you have to do.
"The bottom line is developing relationships by getting to know your neighbors."
