GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Honolulu police officer Doug Dunkirk says he enjoys the beach beat because there is more interaction with people.

Beach patrol

Increased police presence on Waikiki
beaches is helping to deter crime

To keep the "criminal element off balance," some Waikiki police officers might trade their leather shoes for rubber slippers.

They're not saying, but one thing is certain: Expect cops to keep a close eye on Waikiki beaches this summer.

"We're expecting an influx of tourists during the summertime, and people migrating to the beach," said Waikiki police Capt. Alan Arita. "School's out now, also."

Police began moving some Waikiki officers to the Beach Task Force last month. Many residents and tourists appreciate the added police presence.

"I think it's great," said Beverly Kaplan, 48, who moved here from California recently. "With their presence, it makes a big difference. I just don't have that worry here."

Kaplan and a friend were visiting the Pali Lookout recently, and within 10 minutes someone broke into their car. "You can bet if there was police around, it would never happen," she said.

Others said they already feel safe in Waikiki compared with other tourist destinations they have visited.

"We never think of it the way we think of Mexico or Brazil," said Murray Leslie, of Vancouver, Canada, who spends three to four months in Hawaii. "We feel safe anyway."

Julieann Szekeley of Makiki said she has never felt unsafe during the day.

For her, seeing police at the beach, "initially, it felt intimidating because the first guy I saw was writing tickets."

Some officers on beach patrol wear the official navy blue shorts and what they refer to as their "Spam" shirts: navy-blue T-shirts with "HPD" in bold gold lettering, similar to the luncheon meat cans.

But others will be in plain clothes "just to keep the criminal element off balance," Arita said. Could the guy in surfer shorts or the woman in a bikini be a police officer?

"Let's say they'll be dressed appropriately like everybody else to blend in with the environment," Arita said.

Waikiki beach officers, who also have bicycles and all-terrain vehicles at their disposal, appear to enjoy their beat, even when it gets weird.

On his first day on beach patrol, Bruce Sanehira caught someone urinating in a water display along Kalakaua Avenue.

It's rewarding when "people come up to you to say, 'I'm glad you're on the beach.' Knowing that we're here puts people at ease -- locals and tourists. But of course, not everybody is happy to see us," he said.

Douglas Dunkirk said he enjoys his new beat because he likes talking to people and has gotten to know the beachboys.

"In a regular beat, you just in the car going to cases. You don't get that one-on-one interaction with people," he said.

Beach Task Force member Karl Steininger said keeping a high visibility is the best way to deter crime.

Steininger recently helped a 21-year-old Ohio man who lost his wallet with $120 in cash, credit cards and a bank debit card. Justin Trapp spent the day calling his bank and canceling his credit cards.

Later that day, a man found his wallet in a bathroom stall at Queen's Surf Beach and brought it to Steininger, who remembered where Trapp was staying.

Trapp was pleased to have his wallet back. He also thanked the man who found it, Daniel Livingston. On the same day, Livingston met another man whose wallet, along with $800, was stolen at the beach.

"They did a good job," Trapp said of police. "He told me where to go and told me people are pretty nice about returning stuff."

Police said thieves target cameras and any other valuables in bags left unattended on shore. Sometimes, police will leave bags on the beach to catch thieves.

But theft is not the only problem on Waikiki beaches. Officers said they commonly encounter peddling violations or come across people using drugs or drinking alcoholic beverages.