The city is investing nearly $650,000 in additional funding to extend the Honolulu Police Department’s Chinatown Task Force through the end of the year.

What You Need To Know

  • Formed in July 2021, the Chinatown Task Force has drawn personnel from HPD District 1 to supplement daily police activity in the Chinatown area, adding four or five patrol shifts each week

  • Between April 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, the task force made 1,330 outreach-based referrals, gave 7,631 warnings, issued 5,288 citations and made 73 arrests, according to HPD statistics

  • Extending the task force through the end of the year is part of the Blangiatrdi administration’s broader efforts to expand Chinatown’s security camera network
  • The administration is also hoping to increase funding to HPD for the hiring of additional police officers for areas including Chinatown

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi made the announcement Wednesday at a press conference at Kekaulike Mall. Joining the Mayor were prosecutor Steve Alm, Honolulu City Council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, representatives from HPD and Chinatown business and community leaders.

“When we took office two years ago, I was outraged by the level of dangerous, illegal activity in Chinatown and knew immediately that the situation was unsafe and unacceptable,” Blangiardi said. “With the help of the Honolulu Police Department, the efforts of the Chinatown Task Force and the commitment of our team to the revitalization of the entire Chinatown district, we’ve made incredible progress, especially when it comes to public safety. 

“We are totally committed to taking back Chinatown, and funding the Chinatown Task Force through 2023 is but one step in the right direction for everyone who lives, works and visits the area,” he said. 

Formed in July 2021, the Chinatown Task Force has drawn personnel from HPD District 1 to supplement daily police activity in the Chinatown area, adding four or five patrol shifts each week, with each shift lasting six hours and consisting of one supervisor and six police officers.

The department compiles and tracks the actions of each shift, including the number of warnings or citations issued and arrests made. Between April 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, the task force made 1,330 outreach-based referrals, gave 7,631 warnings, issued 5,288 citations and made 73 arrests, according to HPD statistics.

“Today’s additional funding is absolutely a step in the right direction,” said Dos Santos-Tam, one of three new councilmembers this year. “Cleaning up Chinatown is a top priority of mine, and I thank the Mayor for his commitment to this historic neighborhood. Together, we can create a more vibrant Chinatown, one where residents, businesses and visitors alike can feel safe and welcomed.”

Dos Santos-Tam’s District 6 predecessor Carol Fukunaga, now back in the state Senate, was a strong advocate for the task force.

The just-over $647,000 needed to extend the task force through the calendar year will be covered by the federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, which also funded the enhanced Chinatown law enforcement effort between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.

The Mayor’s office said the decision to extend the task force’s efforts is part of the administration’s broader efforts to expand Chinatown’s security camera network.

The city plans to install 52 new high-definition cameras, which are expected to deter crime and aid in the prosecution of crimes in the area. The system is not expected to be fully operational until at least late 2023 due to supply chain and infrastructure problems.

The administration is also hoping to increase funding to HPD for hiring additional police officers for areas including Chinatown.