Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Landlord Police Cooperation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee amends bill to formalize HPD assistance for landlords addressing illegal activity in rental properties
Summary
The committee amended Bill 13 (2025) to create a formal process for police to accompany landlords during inspections or investigations and reported the bill out for second reading and public hearing; the measure aims to help enforce lease violations and curb illegal game-room operations.
On April 3 the Committee on Public Safety and Customer Services amended Bill 13 (2025) to add a process allowing landlords to request Honolulu Police Department assistance when investigating unlawful activity or lease violations on rental properties, and reported the bill out for passage on second reading and a public hearing.
Council Member Tupole (bill sponsor) and staff said the amendments were developed with the Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the Honolulu Police Department to address illegal operations such as unlicensed game rooms, which committee members and the sponsor said generate cash flow tied to violent and criminal activity. Captain Jerome Pacarro of HPD's Narcotics Vice Division told the committee the department had no issues with the revisions.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Hugo said the amendments address constitutional concerns by clarifying that officers would escort landlords who already have a legal right to inspect and that tenants retain the right to withdraw consent. Hugo said codifying a formal documentation and information-sharing process will help prosecutors assemble records and avoid repeated, informal responses he characterized as "playing whack-a-mole."
Councilmember Weier questioned the scope and the protections for tenants; Hugo replied the bill requires prior documentation supporting the landlord's request and limits police action to what is already legally permissible when officers are present with a party who has a right to be on the premises. The committee amended the bill to the posted CD1 (OCS 2025-237) and, with no objections, reported Bill 13 (CD1) out for passage on second reading and referred the measure to the Committee on International and Legal Affairs for its consecutive referral.
Council Member Tupole told members the change was a recommendation from a Game Room Task Force and intended to give law enforcement and prosecutors a consistent, documented process to close illegal game rooms that repeatedly reopen in different locations.
