Hawaii County Police are responsible for enforcing the State’s “stay at home” and now “safer at home” order. In general, police have been citing or arresting people in two situations: they have ignored the police’s warnings, so there are cases of non-compliance after verbal warnings or when in conjunction with unrelated calls for service.
During the seventh week spanning (May 6-12, 2020), specific to the offense of “Prohibited Acts” (Emergency Management), Hawaiʻi Police Department officers arrested 11 persons, and cited 20 persons, (total of 31 violations), broken down by district as follows:
- Kona District: 6 persons arrested, 7 persons cited
- South Hilo District: 5 persons arrested, 4 persons cited
- South Kohala District: 5 persons cited
- Puna District: 4 persons cited
None of the arrests or citations involved visitors violating the 14-day travel self-quarantine.
During this past week: Other unrelated criminal offenses, which prompted the police response and subsequent arrest of the suspects, involved Robbery, Theft, Operating a Vehicle under the Influence of Intoxicants (OVUII), Disorderly Conduct, Trespassing, Liquor Prohibited, and Obstruction of Government Operations. Some of the behavior exhibited by violators to whom citations were issued consisted of disregarding repeated warning by police, traffic/motor vehicle offenses, congregating/loitering on/alongside the road, or at a park/beach area.
The Hawaiʻi Police Department seventh week combined total enforcement stands at 329 individual offenses (94 arrests, 226 citations issued, and 9 additional cases).
