Question: The Ala Moana tennis courts are being abused by homeless people. They live there when the electric light goes out after 10 p.m. Every morning, they leave dirty towels, clothes, underwear, leftover bento, food, bones, shampoo, cans, water bottles, used masks, etc. on the ground everywhere. Also, some urinate and defecate and leave the mess. Mesh drapes/screens that are supposed to hang on the chain-link fence have been cut to be used as a floor mat to sleep on. The courts should be locked up after 10 p.m. every day. Please help.
Answer: We forwarded your plea to Honolulu County’s Department of Parks and Recreation on Tuesday, which prompted a cleanup this week by a city crew and a response from DPR about your suggestion to lock the courts. Here’s the reply from spokesman Nate Serota, which also explains how to directly report homeless encampments in any city park:
“The city utilizes a variety of resources to address the complicated, humanitarian houseless crisis.
“The suggestion of locking the facilities at night is valid, as the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation has contracted security which locks certain facilities at night (mainly bathrooms and parking lots). However, one of the concerns with this approach is the reopening of the facilities, which is conducted by park staff, who typically begin work at 6:30 a.m. In several cases, we receive just as many complaints from park users frustrated that these facilities are reopening later than the park itself. Ala Moana Regional Park itself opens at 4 a.m. daily. If this is truly the desire of the court users, we suggest garnering community support through the area’s Neighborhood Board to ensure that solving one problem does not create another.
“Concerning enforcement of the Stored Property Ordinance/Sidewalk Nuisance Ordinance, DPR supports the lead agency, the Department of Facility Maintenance, to routinely address encampments in city parks or sidewalks. Concerns such as these help to direct these enforcement efforts, as they are often complaint-based, so thank you for bringing this particular area to our attention. In fact, an enforcement was conducted this week in the area and another is scheduled for next month. The notices of enforcement are publicized 24 hours in advance on DFM’s website (at 808ne.ws/SNOSPO Opens in a new tab). …
“For future reference, there is a dedicated hotline and email address for reporting any concerns relating to encampments within city parks and sidewalks. Those contacts are 808- 768-4381 or complaints@honolulu.gov.
“The city also has a website and smartphone app called Honolulu 311, through which you can provide us with greater details (including photos and GPS location) about a variety of concerns, including the houseless. (See 808ne.ws/311 Opens in a new tab for details). …
“In addition to these enforcement efforts, the city has launched a first responder service intended to address nonviolent, houseless emergency calls. The service is called Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE), and currently serves a limited geographic area that includes Ala Moana Regional Park. You can reach them directly by calling 808-768-2673.
“As always, if anyone is posing an immediate threat or being violent to any park user please call 911 immediately.”
Mahalo
A huge thank you to the person who rescued my forgotten purse from a shopping cart at the Longs drugstore at 1030 S. King St. on Tuesday and turned it in to one of the employees. I am very grateful, and can rest easy knowing that there are honest folks in Hawaii. Mahalo. — Aloha, M.B.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
