The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has “;serious concerns”; about the constitutionality of the curfew on Kalihi Valley Homes residents, effectively placing them under house arrest for eight hours a day, said ACLU attorney Daniel Gluck.

“;Keeping residents here under house arrest ... is not the way our government works,”; he said.

But some Kalihi Valley Homes residents said they want the state to continue a curfew of their community and heightened patrols by Honolulu police because of recent beatings, a stabbing and a shooting.

The comments came during a state legislative briefing about the violence and curfew. The state House Housing and Human Services committees held the meeting at the community's meeting hall last night.

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority is scheduled to hold a meeting at 5 this evening at the community meeting hall to hear comments from residents.

Several Kalihi Valley Homes residents said there has been no gang violence since the curfew — from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day — began Thursday, and they want it to continue.

“;I am so for this curfew, and I want it permanent,”; said resident Nikki Shoaf.

Moana Hampton, a resident for 25 years, said the curfew allows them to walk at night, at a time when the violence was escalating.

“;You've got to help us. ... We are going crazy over here,”; Hampton said.

A 19-year-old man was shot in the face at Kalihi Valley Homes in March; a resident was hospitalized after a fight; and a third was stabbed and beaten.

Hawaii Public Housing Authority Executive Director Denise Wise said the curfew is a temporary measure to stabilize the escalation of violence.

“;This curfew is not the answer,”; she said. “;It's an opportunity for cooler heads to prevail.”;

She said her agency will be seeking a permanent solution by collaborating with residents and police.

Human Services Chairman John Mizuno (D, Kalihi-Kamehameha Heights) suggested mediation among parents and youths within the next two weeks.

Wise said that based on preliminary information, it seems the violence stemmed from gang retaliation between Kalihi Valley Homes and the public housing project at Kuhio Park Terrace.

But she said she was still checking with police to find out the underlying cause of the violence.

Two vehicular entrances to Kalihi Valley Homes are guarded by a private security personnel.

But the size of the 500-unit project, where people are able to hop over chain-link fences, allows for pedestrian access, residents say.

Robert Manning said he has lived in Kalihi Valley Homes for 21 years and has never seen the nights as calm.

“;We never had peace like this in 20 years,”; Manning said in an interview. “;Only people with something to hide not going like the curfew.”;

Honolulu police patrol district commander William Chur said two police officers each have been assigned to Kuhio Park Terrace and Kalihi Valley Homes at night since the spate of violence.

“;It's been pretty quiet,”; Chur said.

Chur said the additional assignment of personnel has been “;very expensive”; and cannot continue indefinitely and that police are evaluating the strategy.

Maria Pato, interviewed before the meeting, said the community has changed since the period when she raised her children, with an increase in different ethnic immigrants and more drug abuse.

“;It's the people coming in, the gangsters,”; she said. “;The children are different.”;

Pato said she fears that without the curfew and heightened police presence, outside people will come in to retaliate against residents.

“;A lot more people will die,”; she said.