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HPD reports steady call volume; residents press for stronger distracted‑driving enforcement
Summary
Lieutenant Nakamura provided December crime statistics and urged education and enforcement; residents and state Rep. Tina Grandinetti pressed for clearer enforcement of handheld‑phone and windshield‑obstruction laws and discussed behavior‑change tools such as the Safe Roads Challenge app.
The Honolulu Police Department reported routine monthly crime statistics to the Kalawai Neighborhood Board on Jan. 14 and fielded residents’ questions about distracted driving and enforcement.
Lieutenant Nakamura said the district’s December statistics showed small month‑to‑month changes in motor‑vehicle thefts, burglaries and thefts, and he encouraged safe driving in wet conditions. On distracted driving, he acknowledged enforcement challenges but said patrol officers issue citations for handheld phone use and that HPD runs periodic focused campaigns on issues such as DUIs and distracted driving.
"We have been seeing a lot more ghost guns," Nakamura said when asked about weapons trends, adding the department would research whether changes in laws had affected incident rates and follow up next month. When asked about handing data back to the board, he offered to ask the traffic division to track distracted‑driving involvement in collisions as a specific metric.
State Representative Tina Grandinetti, who attended in person, stressed behavior change and enforcement rather than additional legislation: "We learned about this new app called the Safe Roads Challenge app," she said, highlighting a voluntary program that scores driver behavior and offers rewards as an incentive to change habits.
Residents said they still observe many drivers using phones or otherwise distracted and urged more visible enforcement and public education. Nakamura recommended reporting dangerous driving in real time so officers can respond and reiterated that some offenses — for example, handheld phone use while driving and windshield obstructions — are already enforceable under state and municipal rules.
What happens next: HPD committed to researching trends and providing follow‑up data at a future meeting; Rep. Grandinetti and the board discussed educational and technological tools to encourage safer driving.
