Isle cams have eye
on high crime spots

Security cameras at two tourist hot spots have gone up under a first-of-its-kind pilot program for the state, which relies on private security officers as monitors in hopes of reducing stress on the police force.

The cameras at Pali Lookout and Ehukai Beach Park -- picked because of their high rates of crimes against tourists -- are designed to look like light poles.

They went up earlier this month and will start to be monitored in about a week, after any kinks are fixed. By March 1 they are expected to be on in "full force," said Greg Murphy, president of Sensormatic Hawaii.

The company, which also has contracts for security cameras with the military, got $67,500 from the Hawaii Tourism Authority to undertake the six-month project. After the program is completed, officials will determine its success and evaluate whether it is worth continuing, Murphy said.

The cameras will be monitored by Wackenhut Corp. security guards at a data center in downtown Honolulu. Suspicious people or activity will be reported to the police, who will then respond.

Police will also have the capability to monitor the parks, Murphy said.

Security cameras have been placed in Chinatown and Waikiki to deter crime, but never before in the islands have private security guards done the bulk of the monitoring for public places.

Murphy said the main aspect of the pilot is to determine how private security forces can work with police "to reduce stress on the force," and whether such a partnership is cost-effective.

Similar programs have been instituted -- with good results -- at tourist-frequented zones in New Orleans and New York City, Murphy said.

Tourism officials have said they chose the two spots for the project because of their rates of car break-ins and similar thefts.

Dozens park at Ehukai Beach Park daily, a main access to the popular Pipeline surf break on the North Shore. The Pali Lookout, meanwhile, is one of the state's top five most-frequented parks, according to the Tourism Authority.

"Over time we will drive crime away from these parks," Murphy said.

He said the cameras can be spotted -- though not easily -- and provide a "visible deterrent." Also, signs will be posted at both sites warning park-goers and potential thieves alike that they are being watched.

The cameras have been met with support by police, who say their forces are stretched and patrols have not been able to reduce crime at high-theft parks.

"It's going to aid us," said Wahiawa Sgt. Eric Brown, whose police district includes Ehukai Beach Park. "If you're going to be on camera, are you going to break into a car?"

He said there are rashes of thefts at Ehukai and other well-frequented North Shore parks, especially when high surf brings big crowds.

"That's where they (thieves) go shopping," Brown said. "That's their Wal-Mart."

Many residents are also behind the cameras, said North Shore Neighborhood Board member Bob Leinau.

"We have a problem that needs to be solved," he said. "It's being done not to trap people, but to be done as a deterrent."

At a North Shore Neighborhood Board discussion on the cameras late last year, there were concerns over whether the cameras could zoom into homes near Ehukai Beach Park. But Murphy said the cameras have been fitted with "digital privacy zones," which will not allow a monitor to zoom in on certain restricted areas.