Honolulu Council might widen surveillance at parks

Yahoo

19-05-2025

Overt video monitoring at city-owned parks prone to high crime has advanced under a new Honolulu City Council resolution.
On its first reading Wednesday, the Council voted to pass Resolution 128, which seeks to authorize the use of more video surveillance at Oahu's public parks to deter crime and provide 'a safe environment for city residents, visitors and employees.'
The Council's Public Safety and Customer Serv ­ices Committee is expected to further review the legislation.
Introduced in April by Council member Radiant Cordero, Resolution 128 says the Honolulu Police Department and other city agencies 'are currently utilizing video surveillance cameras and installing additional video surveillance cameras at various locations within the city, including but not limited to Waikiki, downtown Honolulu, East Oahu, and west side city parks.'
The legislation seeks to quell violent crimes at city parks.
'There are multiple reports of violent crimes occurring in parks operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the most recent being reports of gunfire on April 20, 2025, at Ala Moana Regional Park, which is one of the busiest parks on Oahu and is frequently visited by tourists, ' the legislation states.
Resolution 128 also underscores HPD's vacancy of over 400 police officer positions.
HPD 'is currently dealing with a staffing shortage that would impact the department's ability to maintain a physical presence at city parks in order to detect and deter criminal activity, ' the legislation says.
To aid policing efforts, the resolution urges the city to implement 'a one-year pilot program, in order to achieve the legitimate public purposes and legitimate law enforcement objectives … including the detection and deterrence of criminal activity and ensuring the safety and security of the general public and its property.'
It says the pilot program is authorized for 'at least one city park per Council district, to be identified by the Council member assigned to that Council district based on a pattern of high criminal activity at or ongoing public safety concerns for the respective park.'
It says that 'overt video monitoring devices authorized under this resolution must be overt and clearly visible, with appropriate public signage to inform the public as set forth pursuant to (city laws ).'
Cordero—whose Council District 7 spans Kalihi Kai to Waimalu Kai—previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that her resolution 'was prompted by a series of break-ins at one of my district parks, highlighting the urgent need for stronger security.'
'The need for video surveillance in Oahu's city parks is driven by growing concerns over public safety and rising violent crimes, ' she said. 'Notable incidents include gunfire at Ala Moana Regional Park, two break-ins in a District 7 city park, and the recent fire at the Wahiawa District Park Playground.'
'By testing this approach through a pilot program, we can assess its effectiveness and make data-driven decisions for future expansion, ' she added.
Cordero said the projected cost of her park surveillance program was not determined.
HPD and 'the director of Parks and Recreation, and the director of Information Technology are responsible for implementing the proposed pilot program—this includes determining the projected cost and allocating the necessary funding, ' she said previously.
During public comment Wednesday, Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa testified against the resolution.
'First, I want to make an important distinction : We're talking about government videos here, not private, and I oppose the government's surveillance, ' she said. 'Currently, it is possible for the city to tell when you leave your home, when you come back, what time you go get the mail, when you take your dog for a walk, when you come back, possibly when you're on vacation. A lot of things can be put together currently.
'And I've asked for discussions on this, ' Iwasa added. 'This is related to people who are on bus routes, because the cameras record for 30 days and they have thousands of recordings that are out there. I've never heard of how those cameras are secured, how that information is kept encrypted or anything like that. So I think that should be part of the discussion.'
Waikiki resident Jacob Wiencek offered cautious support for the resolution.
'We do need to take all necessary steps to ensure that we have safe, clean public spaces, including our parks … that are enjoyed by the citizens of our city. I do believe this is taking the right step, ' he told the Council. 'However … we definitely need to make sure we put privacy and civil liberty concerns first.'
'Unfortunately, it can be a very thin line between using technology as a public safety benefit to turning into something much more worse, ' he said. 'So I would like to ask the Council that while I support this, I encourage that there be follow-on measures to address privacy and civil liberties concerns.'
Before the Council's vote, Vice Chair Matt Weyer—whose Council District 2 includes the Wahiawa District Park Playground, which suffered suspected arson damage May 1—said the city's use of video monitoring raised 'questions in people's minds, but as far as I can tell from the resolution, it's specific to city infrastructure, ' including park facilities.
'Just historically, I know that there have been instances of crime, particularly violent crime, caught on video cameras at some of our parks, and it's a tool that's useful, ' he said.
Weyer added that the resolution 'was an appropriate step in terms of protecting our city assets and also increasing public safety without overstepping or going too far.'
Council Chair Tommy Waters also favored surveillance in public spaces.
'In our city parks there's rampant vandalism, graffiti and the recent arson in Council member Weyer's district, ' Waters said. 'The surfboard rack in Waikiki was burned down twice, and perhaps video monitoring could have either prevented it or catch the people who are doing these things.'
After the meeting, the ACLU of Hawaii expressed skepticism over Resolution 128's intent.
'We understand the city's impulse to respond to recent events, but expanding surveillance in parks raises serious civil liberties concerns, ' Jongwook 'Wookie ' Kim, the organization's legal director, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 'Parks are vital spaces for protest, expression and community life. More cameras risk chilling First Amendment activity, and will disproportionately impact communities already overpoliced, especially houseless people who rely on parks for survival.'
'Any expansion must come with strict safeguards, transparency, and oversight to prevent abuse, ' Kim said. 'We are glad to hear that this is only a one-year pilot program.'
Meanwhile, DPR spokesperson Nate Serota confirmed there are currently 165 surveillance cameras installed at 16 city parks on Oahu.
'There have been cameras in city parks for well over a decade under a variety of initiatives, ' he told the Star-Advertiser via email. 'Our most recent batch of surveillance cameras installed included 25 new surveillance cameras within Ala Moana Regional Park.'
Serota said previously there were 23 cameras inside Ala Moana park, on or near bathrooms and bathhouses.
'Now there are 48 cameras total, with the 25 new ones on street lights around the park, ' he said. 'These cameras were installed as part of technological improvements to the park. The primary goal of which was to improve network connectivity (internet and phone ) to the park, police, and lifeguard facilities in Ala Moana. So, basically the cameras were an added element to these improvements.'
Cameras are installed and maintained with in-house city staff, while costs depend on the particular cameras used as well as who paid for them, he added. Organizations, like the Hawaii Tourism Authority, sponsored 75 cameras, including at Kapiolani Regional Park.
'For instance, HTA-­sponsored cameras cost $38, 800 for 75, while the eight security cameras installed at Sandy Beach Park's bathroom buildings (and the data retention system ) cost about $3, 200, ' he said.
Serota said that 'footage from these cameras is not continuously monitored.'
'Instead staff and law enforcement will review the footage should it be needed for an investigation, ' he explained. 'They are ultimately intended to be a deterrence and to help prevent criminal activity.'
As far as their active use, he said that 'so far this year HPD has requested footage from park surveillance cameras 12 times.'
'I know there was a case of a stolen beach wheelchair at Ala Moana Regional Park where the surveillance footage helped to locate the stolen wheelchair, ' he added.
As far as park vandalism is concerned, Serota said the parks department will 'spend between $300, 000 to $400, 000 annually addressing vandalism through in-house maintenance.'
'This doesn't include more egregious cases, like the recent arson case where the playground at Wahiawa District Park was torched, ' he said. 'That alone will cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix.'
All in all, he said new surveillance cameras will be welcomed at city parks around Oahu.
'We certainly will work with each of the Council members to determine where they would like to see these cameras installed, ' Serota said. 'This will also be dependent on the existing infrastructure and connectivity of these locations.'