Kokua Line
Street parking near
stadium to be monitoredQuestion: On the afternoon of the Hawaii vs. Alabama football game in November, people parked on the mauka shoulder of Kamehameha Highway at Laulima Street. With cars parked there, you cannot see oncoming cars from Kamehameha Highway when turning from Laulima. It was a very dangerous situation (photos attached).
My wife called 911 about 2 p.m. for an officer to ticket or tow the vehicles, and the operator said they would send someone. Two hours passed and nothing happened, so she called again, and again they said they would send someone.
An additional 2 1/2 hours passed and still nothing was done. The police were called before for the same reason and tickets were issued. It is also one of the areas that was taped off during the "no parking" warning period. There is a "no parking" sign on Kamehameha Highway about 75 yards before Laulima but none at the corner. Can you please find out why nothing was done and if a "no parking" sign can be put up there?
Answer: Here's a warning to stadium-goers that the area in question will be closely checked from now on.
The Honolulu Police Department apologizes for the lack of enforcement of the "no parking" restriction on that day at Laulima Street and Kamehameha Highway.
During the afternoon of the Nov. 30 UH-Alabama game, the officer assigned to parking enforcement for the area was diverted to crowd-control duties within the stadium, according to police Lt. Benjamin Ballesteros of the Pearl City Station.
"Unfortunately, during this transition, a replacement officer was not re-assigned to this case," he said. "Police will be attentive to the area during the upcoming Pro Bowl" on Feb. 2.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Transportation and the city Department of Transportation Services will be investigating and assessing the need for signs and the replacement of signs in the area, Ballesteros said.
HPD has asked if an additional sign could be included at that location, he said.
Q: Can you help prevent skateboarders from defacing the Blaisdell Concert Hall steps?
I called City Hall, and City Hall says to call police. I call police, they say call 911. I call 911, yet no one does anything about the number of kids after school who are chipping away pieces of the steps to the concert hall. There are not even any security guards around. Does anyone care?
A: Since posted signs warning against skateboarding in that area obviously have not discouraged the activity, city officials said they would try to be on the lookout for the skateboarders.
The city Department of Enterprise Services is looking at adjusting security operations to watch over that end of the center in the afternoon, said Carol Costa, spokeswoman for the city administration.
Barry Fukunaga, director of enterprise services, asks that the public call when they see anyone skateboarding on the steps, she said.
Call 527-5400 during working hours, or 527-5040 after 4:30 p.m. and weekendsholidays.
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