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'DLNR has enacted a rule to ban alcohol at the sandbar on three-day holiday weekends, and they're also looking at instituting a dog law and also an anti-noise law'
Uhhh, why is DLNR banning alcohol at the sandbar only on 3 day holiday weekends? At every other state park under DLNR's jurisdiction, the consumption of alcohol is banned, period. 24/7. Why in the world are they allowing the use of liquor on the sandbar under any circumstances? Even if it is surrounded by water, it is a public area.
Only in Hawaii,....
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
FM, the new rule is a test and is only good for 120 days. The idea is that it'll give them a chance to determine what should be in the permanent rule(s).
1)'DLNR has enacted a rule to ban alcohol at the sandbar on three-day holiday weekends, and they're also looking at instituting a dog law and also an anti-noise law'
2)Bogus Band-Aid solution, it needs to be %100 off limits.
3)Uhhh, why is DLNR banning alcohol at the sandbar only on 3 day holiday weekends? At every other state park under DLNR's jurisdiction, the consumption of alcohol is banned, period. 24/7. Why in the world are they allowing the use of liquor on the sandbar under any circumstances? Even if it is surrounded by water, it is a public area.
4)FM, the new rule is a test and is only good for 120 days. The idea is that it'll give them a chance to determine what should be in the permanent rule(s).
1) No alcohol (should be 24/7 IMO), No Dogs and noise limits are proper too.
2) I don't agree with a total off-limits ban.
3) The DLNR doesn't have the ability or resources to even keep our harbors safe from Alcohol/Drugs/Dogs/Noise/Thievery now. And they can actually just drive (on land) to patrol them. The sand bar takes boats.
4) I think it'll determine what they would need to do to enforce any rules at the sandbar. Like a few boats in use at the same time patrolling.
Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!
3) The DLNR doesn't have the ability or resources to even keep our harbors safe from Alcohol/Drugs/Dogs/Noise/Thievery now. And they can actually just drive (on land) to patrol them. The sand bar takes boats.
How about letting citizens assist in the enforcement of DLNR rules? For example, if there's a 24/7 ban on alcohol and pets on the sandbar and I see someone violating those bans, I can shoot video of the violations on my camera phone. I can also take shots of the violators leaving on their boat, which would obviously assist in identification.
All it takes is a little "thinking outside the box" in order to solve these kinds of problems.
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
Info...
"HOTLINE
DLNR Enforcement:
(808)643-DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement
The Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is responsible for enforcement activities of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The division, with full police powers, enforces all State laws and rules involving State lands, State Parks, historical sites, forest reserves, aquatic life and wildlife areas, coastal zones, Conservation districts, State shores, as well as county ordinances involving county parks. The division also enforces laws relating to firearms, ammunition, and dangerous weapons.
CONTACT:
Kalanimoku Building
1151 Punchbowl St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
Ph: (808) 587-0400 dlnr@hawaii.gov
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/docare/mission
"Current DOCARE staffing levels make it impossible to provide for adequate coverage on a 24-hour basis. Occasionally, complaints wait 24 hours or longer before an officer can respond to investigate the case. Limited funding for regular and holiday overtime also diminishes our ability to respond to resource violations at the time when our officers are needed the most.
The issues and problems affecting the program require pro-active measures. With limited manpower and decreased funding, DOCARE is primarily responding in a reactive manner. This makes it difficult to protect Hawaii’s unique natural resources and meet community expectations."
Guess we'll all have to become vigilantes?
Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!
How about letting citizens assist in the enforcement of DLNR rules?
"Yes, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) still has the volunteer enforcement officer program. For information call: (808) 587-0077.
To apply, write to:
Gary D. Moniz, Enforcement Chief
State of Hawaii
DLNR-DOCARE
1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 311
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813"
Volunteer and be deputized.
Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!
How about letting citizens assist in the enforcement of DLNR rules? For example, if there's a 24/7 ban on alcohol and pets on the sandbar and I see someone violating those bans, I can shoot video of the violations on my camera phone. I can also take shots of the violators leaving on their boat, which would obviously assist in identification.
All it takes is a little "thinking outside the box" in order to solve these kinds of problems.
There's reasons law enforcement doesn't always encourage this sort of citizen activity. If it's secretive and unobserved maybe it could go across OK, but then some moke may decide your camera (and face) might need a bath....
If you do this, be careful. Or get deputized!
Then, it's also questionable whether they would follow up - I guess it depends on the seriousness. There was a stalking/harassment case in Kaneohe I caught evidence on cell-phone camera about a year ago. The police were uninterested. (Maybe the stalker was an undercover cop?) Then also there's the understaffing....
There's reasons law enforcement doesn't always encourage this sort of citizen activity. If it's secretive and unobserved maybe it could go across OK, but then some moke may decide your camera (and face) might need a bath....[...]
And, should that happen, there are the issues of liability and who pays the medical bills. I wonder if being deputized addresses this.
Not necessarily. A vigilante is someone who takes the law into his own hands.
Photographing/video recording someone breaking the law and reporting it to the authorities is good citizenship.
On sea or on land,... law enforcement can't be everywhere everytime. If you see vandals damaging public property at a school or at a park, a conscientious person won't just look the other way. At the earliest and safest opportunity, they should report it to the police.
And, should that happen, there are the issues of liability and who pays the medical bills. I wonder if being deputized addresses this.
It goes without saying that people should exercise caution and common sense to protect themselves when witnessing any kind of crime. If the perpetrators are aggressive and belligerent, or if you are vastly outnumbered, then one needs to act discreetly. But even under these circumstances, that doesn't preclude someone from reporting the incident to the authorities at a time and place that is safe.
There have been implications or outright statements in this thread that DLNR does not have boats. I was pretty sure that I'd seen some but not 100% sure, so I kept quiet. However, you can see a photo of one of them in this sandbar story in today's paper. They keep their boats on trailers for obvious reasons.
Also in that story and in a few before it there have been comments from some locals that most of the fights happen at Heeia Kea pier and not at the sandbar itself. There have certainly been fights in both places.
I also stayed out of the discussions here about vigilantiism. I'm very much against that concept, perhaps especially so as regards boating matters. Over the decades I've found that volunteers for these kind of things are very amateurish and quite often cause more harm than good.
A classic example is the Coast Guard Auxiliary group, mostly made up of amateur volunteers. A few are good, but I've had to rescue many others of that group.
When it comes to any law enforcement unit taking on volunteer officers, the key to the program's success all comes down to the quality of the training and the screening process. Cut corners and take shortcuts when it comes to deputizing/certifying volunteers, then like anything else in the real world, you get what you pay for.
With all that said, I still get surprised looks from people when I talk about a couple of pals of mine who serve as unpaid reserve HPD officers. In case anyone here is blissfully unaware, that officer who you see directing traffic on the street or responding to your 911 call might very be a part-time volunteer. When a reserve officer is on duty, they have the same powers and responsibilities as paid, full-time officers. Speaking for myself, if I'm ever caught up in an emergency situation with my life on the line, I have just as much confidence in my volunteer friends to help me out as I would with any officer who receives a C&C paycheck.
The reserve officer program seems to work for HPD. And with the proper training, screening, and resources, there's absolutely no reason why it can't work for DLNR. The first step is having an open mind.
This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.
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