How to police Hawaii’s most famous beach? Some want a longer overnight closure

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Waikiki residents are asking the city to change the overnight closure hours a key stretch of Hawaii’s most famous shoreline, saying they’d like Kuhio Beach to close at midnight rather than 2 a.m.

The goal is to limit trouble in the area.

On Tuesday Night, Waikiki’s Neighborhood Board passed a resolution asking the city to make the change.

Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, said businesses like the idea.

He said it would keep people from potentially camping overnight.

He also said it would help keep trouble out of the area.

“It’s not just a homeless-related issue; it’s really an issue with potential problems like fights and drug sales and things like that occurring on the beach after hours,” said Egged.

“And it just makes sense because it’s consistent with the other public parks in the area.”

During the meeting, Honolulu police also said they support the change.

“It would be easy for us to enforce if it was consistent until 12 o’clock,” said one HPD officer.

But some residents think it’ll only work if more patrol officers are assigned to the area.

“If you’re going to limit the time or at least put more security in the area so you are preventing the suspicions of what they think is going to be happening in the area,” said Brittany Coffey, of Mililani. “The more security, the less likely someone is going to be acting up, causing fights doing drug transactions, anything that can cause trouble.”

“More officers on the beach than 1,000% will help, honestly,” said Mishawn, of Palolo. “That’s what actually helped them a little bit when they started patrolling the beaches more.”

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation will decide whether to change the hours.

The beach would still reopen at 5 a.m.

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