Question: Can you help us with the parking situation at the Kaneohe Public Library? Three or four stalls in the library parking lot are being usurped by the Honolulu Police Department, which is located right next door. Squad cars are taking parking previously used by library patrons. Parking is scarce there.

Answer: The branch manager was not aware police cars were using the library's public parking spaces, said Marya Zoller, acting director of the Hawaii State Public Library System's Public Libraries Branch.

But the library's security guard was to be reminded about enforcing the use of the lot for library patrons.

“;Both the library and the Kaneohe Police Station try to be good neighbors to each other and the community, but there is no arrangement between the state and the city or HPD for squad cars to park in library spaces,”; Zoller said.

The commander of the Kaneohe station wasn't aware of any squad cars parking in the lot and spoke with the security guard, who said he hadn't gotten any complaints, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.

If the public or library staff has a complaint, they may call or walk over to the Kaneohe station, she said.

Zoller noted that parking at that Kaneohe Library in general has been “;a continuing challenge”; because of the multipurpose use of the area.

But she said there is hope for the future because the city has cleared land to build a new parking lot behind the library, “;and that should alleviate the traffic congestion and scarce parking situation.”;

Auwe

To young boys dressed in black T-shirts and tagging phone booths and benches at University Avenue and South King Street. One of the boys asked another for a large marker pen. His hands were stained with different colors. I think they use the Express bus to do their tagging along the way. I confronted one of them as he tagged the phone booth and asked how he could do that with everyone seeing him while standing in line to board. When I was getting ready to get off the bus, I told him Hawaii is pilau enough and should be kept clean. This happened a while ago, but it's been on my mind and I wanted to let someone know about this behavior. — K.L.

Next time, notify the bus driver.

TheBus participates in the Honolulu Police Department's Mobile Watch Program, said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for Oahu Transit Services.

Bus drivers can call the Central Control department to report crimes, accidents and other incidents, she said. Central Control will then notify HPD.

Kennedy said Central Control could possibly have had HPD intercept the bus in time to catch the taggers.

“;It is also very likely the perpetrators may have been vandalizing the buses they rode,”; she said.

Kennedy pointed out an essential element in this: The person reporting the vandalism — or any other crime — to the bus driver must be willing to remain and speak to HPD when the bus is intercepted.

For incidents happening at the bus stop, before you enter a bus, call HPD at 911 as soon as possible, providing a description of the boys, said spokeswoman Michelle Yu.

“;Don't confront them,”; she said.

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Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).