Upfront, everyone is glad the bad guys are off the street. Great job by those mentioned in the article, “HPD, federal agents raid drug, gambling, sex houses” (Star-Advertiser, May 11).
Per the article, it was a joint effort by the Honolulu Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service and the state Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division.
Taking nothing away from that success, how many crime-fighting agencies, each with their own separate bureaucracies, politics and cost structures, do we actually need? Are the aforementioned six agencies the sweet spot?
Apparently not, since evidently the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms bureau, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Sheriff Division, Narcotics Enforcement Division and others weren’t involved. Aside from that lengthy list there’s also the harbor police, airport police and others that also fight crime in their own specialized (overlapping!) areas.
How about some consolidation to save some tax dollars through economies of scale?
Sharon Takemoto
Kailua
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