No 21 Pearl City Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting July 2026
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21 Pearl City Neighborhood Board Meeting – July 29, 2026
Meeting Opening and Scout Program
The Pearl City Neighborhood Board convened at 7:02 p.m., with the transcript’s opening remarks identifying the date as July 28. Cub Scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance and announced that their new Scout year will run from August 2026 through May 2027. An open house will be held at the meeting site on August 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. for interested families and prospective Scouts. The chair reviewed public-participation procedures, including a three-minute limit for individual remarks and a five-minute limit for presentations, and reminded participants that the board may act only on properly noticed agenda items under the state Sunshine Law. Roll call showed 10 members present, establishing a quorum.
Fire and Emergency Response Statistics
The Honolulu Fire Department reported June 2026 activity covering the Pearl City and Waiawa fire stations. Firefighters responded to one structure fire, eight nuisance fires, two cooking fires, and four alarm activations where no fire was found. Emergency calls included 129 medical incidents, one motor-vehicle collision involving a pedestrian, and one additional motor-vehicle crash. The department’s monthly safety message focused on hiking: residents were advised to select trails appropriate to their ability and stamina, check rain, wind, and ocean-swell forecasts, remain on marked trails, avoid taking risks for photographs, hike with a companion, tell someone their plans, and allow enough time to return before dark. A board member also thanked HFD for extinguishing a recent brush fire near his home.
Pearl City Crime Trends and Police Activity
The Honolulu Police Department compared May and June 2026 crime data for the area. Motor-vehicle thefts fell sharply from 10 in May to one in June, while burglaries increased from two to seven, thefts rose from 18 to 29, and vehicle break-ins increased from three to eight. Calls for service in the Pearl City area rose from 1,510 to 1,583, although District 3’s overall calls declined from 5,069 in May to 4,519 in June. Residents were encouraged to use CrimeMapping.com, which incorporates HPD data and allows users to enter an address and review reported crimes nearby. HPD also introduced members of the District 3 command and supervisory team and received praise for Lieutenant Iwasaki’s continued responsiveness to the board’s questions and neighborhood concerns.
School Traffic, Speeding, and Sidewalk Safety
With the school year approaching, HPD placed a speed-monitoring trailer on Ho‘oma‘ema‘e Street in response to recurring speeding concerns near Pearl City Highlands Elementary School. Officers were also addressing vehicles parked on sidewalks along Ho‘oma‘ema‘e and Noelani streets, which force children to walk in the roadway. A board member requested another speed trailer on the Waimano Home Road side of Ho‘oma‘ema‘e, complementing the unit already positioned near the Ho‘olaulima side and protecting students approaching the school from the rear. Later public testimony reinforced the longstanding concern that Noelani Street lacks sidewalks near the school and that illegal parking compounds the hazard. The chair stated that sidewalk improvements are included among the board’s legislative priorities.
Cherry on Top Gathering and Noise Concerns
HPD reported continued attention to the crowded nighttime gathering around Cherry on Top. The location has become a popular youth hangout, and officers acknowledged that it can provide a comparatively safe place for young people, particularly because robberies previously reported there appear to have stopped. Loud music and disruptive car stereos remain concerns for nearby residents, however. When staffing permits, a Pearl City sector officer is posted at the location during evenings, especially Fridays and Saturdays, with the patrol vehicle’s lights visible as a deterrent. HPD continues to encourage the business to hire a special-duty officer, which police believe could provide consistent on-site control of noise and crowd-related problems.
District 3 E-Bike Enforcement
District 3 received a grant to purchase Sur-Ron electric bicycles for police use. Once officers complete the required training, the e-bikes will allow patrols to reach areas that are difficult for regular police vehicles to access, including the Pearl City Bike Path. HPD expects the equipment to improve mobility and enforcement in paths, trails, and other confined locations where calls or recurring public-safety issues can be challenging to address with conventional patrol vehicles.
Recognition of Sergeant Jonathan Frye
The board presented a certificate of recognition to off-duty HPD Sergeant Jonathan Frye for saving a family of four from a burning home in Palisades. After seeing flames in a second-floor rear room of his neighbor’s house, Frye rushed to the home, kicked and shouldered through two secured doors, alerted the occupants, and helped a father and three children escape. He then notified HFD, allowing firefighters to respond and limit damage. Chief David Lazar described Frye, who also serves as vice president of the State of Hawai‘i Organization of Police Officers, as an example of community policing, personal courage, and service beyond the call of duty. Frye credited HPD training, mentors, fellow officers, and being in the right place at the right time, emphasizing that other officers would have acted similarly.
Police Chief’s Priorities and Staffing
Newly appointed Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar described HPD as a strong department built on the work of its sworn officers, professional staff, and community partnerships. His priorities include recruiting enough officers to address a shortage of approximately 400 personnel, retaining current employees, improving officer wellness and resilience, expanding training and equipment, modernizing operations, and strengthening the department’s commitment to protecting and serving with aloha. HPD’s authorized staffing figure is approximately 2,177 officers, but Lazar suggested that Honolulu’s growth may justify a force closer to 2,300, while noting that further data would be needed to support that estimate. He said staffing shortages cannot become an excuse for poor service and that deployment should be guided by crime data, time, location, and visible patrol strategies. Blue patrol lights and random residential patrols were discussed as deterrents, while Lazar stressed that statistical improvements alone are insufficient if residents do not feel safe.
Crime Reporting and Community Policing
Residents raised concerns that people sometimes do not report crimes because they believe HPD will not act. Chief Lazar urged the public to report even minor offenses because a seemingly small incident may connect to a larger pattern, help solve a major case, or provide the data needed to justify staffing and direct patrols. Not every report can receive a full investigation, but reports of repeated bicycle, scooter, or property thefts may reveal a series. The chair advocated expanding neighborhood security watches, involving all 33 neighborhood boards, and developing trained community volunteers who could assist HPD with non-enforcement work, fireworks documentation, neighborhood monitoring, victim follow-up, and other routine tasks while sworn officers remain responsible for citations and arrests. Lazar supported exploring a formal volunteer program, including volunteers who could contact crime victims, check whether they need services, and gather additional case information. He also encouraged residential and association security-camera systems, noting that community video frequently provides decisive evidence.
Traffic Cameras and Police Administrative Duties
A board member asked whether specially trained civilian employees could review traffic-camera violations instead of sworn officers, freeing more officers for patrol and 911 response. HPD explained that current practices are intended to ensure that an officer reviews each potential citation for legal validity, much as an officer would verify a roadside citation. Only one or two officers may be needed to review a large volume efficiently, but Chief Lazar said the department would examine legal requirements, policies, and staffing options to determine which administrative jobs are essential for sworn officers and which could be handled by professional staff. A departmentwide review was expected to begin within roughly a week to identify personnel assignments and maximize the number of officers available at stations and in neighborhoods.
Police Technology, AI, and Drones
Board members criticized HPD’s continued reliance on handwritten witness statements and urged the department to use laptops, speech-to-text tools, artificial intelligence, and automated reporting. Chief Lazar agreed that modernization is overdue and said HPD is evaluating technology that can use body-camera recordings to summarize conversations and generate draft reports. He also cited potential uses for AI in investigations, recruitment analysis, data analytics, and a real-time crime center, while noting that progress will require a coordinated technology plan, clear priorities, and budget alignment. HPD planned to begin a limited “Drone as First Responder,” or “DFR Lite,” pilot in District 1 within one to two weeks. During selected days and hours, trained operators would listen to dispatch traffic and send drones to incidents within minutes, allowing them to tell responding officers where a suspect, vehicle, or weapon is located and which direction it is moving. Lazar envisioned eventual islandwide deployment, including drones capable of following fleeing vehicles so officers can avoid dangerous high-speed pursuits, as well as integration with strategically placed automated license-plate readers that could identify stolen vehicles, wanted persons, or missing-person cases. Facial recognition was not part of the current proposal. Lazar emphasized that drone use would operate under strict constitutional safeguards, published policies, accountability requirements, and public transparency.
Board Officer Elections
The board held its annual leadership elections following a brief recess and group photograph with Chief Lazar and HPD representatives. Larry Veray was reelected chair without opposition. Charmaine Duran was elected vice chair with nine votes and one abstention, Tony Velasco was elected secretary with nine votes and one abstention, and Guy Inouye was elected treasurer with nine votes and one abstention. The chair thanked members for their confidence and emphasized that the executive officers depend on the participation and work of the full board.
Military and Community Relations Office
Randy Jung introduced the State of Hawai‘i Military and Community Relations Office, or MACRO, a state office created two years earlier to strengthen relationships between local communities and the military. MACRO is federally funded through the state and is conducting small-group “Community Conversations” as military training-land leases approach expiration in 2029. More than 40 conversations had been held across Hawai‘i with kūpuna, Native Hawaiians, lineal descendants, longtime residents, veterans, military families, students, businesses, and other groups. Participants are being asked what Hawai‘i’s future relationship with the military should look like and what would meaningfully improve that relationship. Recurring topics include disaster response, environmental stewardship, cultural access, economic opportunity, public trust, and interagency coordination. Three major themes have emerged: improved access to military-controlled lands, return of lands no longer being used, and cleanup of lands affected by past military activity. Information gathered will be conveyed to the governor and considered alongside the work of the Department of Land and Natural Resources and environmental-review processes. Board members encouraged all service branches to offer community tours similar to Navy programs and noted both the military’s economic and strategic role in Hawai‘i. MACRO has completed a study of the military’s economic impact and is working on a study of military effects on housing.
Pearl Harbor Restoration Advisory Board
The discussion of military-community relations included the Pearl Harbor-Hickam-Kalaeloa Restoration Advisory Board, which reviews environmental restoration, contamination, ordnance, and cleanup issues involving military lands. Pearl City representative Guy Inouye described the board’s work and the participation of Board of Water Supply Chief Engineer Ernie Lau and a senior engineering staff member as nonvoting participants. Community co-chair Francie Whitfield announced that the advisory board’s next meeting will be held Wednesday, September 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the O‘ahu Veterans Center. The board can have up to 20 community members but currently has 12 seats filled, with additional vacancies possible as current terms expire. It normally meets three times annually and conducts two site visits each year. Applications, meeting information, the charter, agendas, and update subscriptions are available through RedHillERIN.com under the community-involvement section. The Pearl City board reaffirmed its longstanding participation in restoration discussions and encouraged broader neighborhood-board representation.
Fireworks, Vehicle Safety, and Enforcement Concerns
Resident Alvin Wong raised continuing concerns about illegal fireworks entering Hawai‘i and called for more federal waterfront and airport inspectors with detection dogs to examine incoming ships, aircraft, and cargo. He referred to the fatal fireworks incident in the Salt Lake area two years earlier and said fireworks continue to affect his property despite quieter conditions reported elsewhere in Pearl City. He also described a December 4 collision in which his daughter was nearly killed by a vehicle whose license plate was obscured and whose safety sticker appeared expired. Wong, a former District 1 police volunteer and retired federal employee, linked these concerns to enforcement capacity and urged officials not to leave unresolved safety problems to future generations. The chair reiterated interest in community-policing volunteers and stated that the board and HPD continue working on fireworks enforcement.
Community Emergency Response Team Proposal
Greg Nia of the American Red Cross urged Pearl City to establish a Community Emergency Response Team, particularly after recent emergency planning for a storm that ultimately passed north of Hawai‘i and weakened. He asked residents to consider how the community would respond if a super typhoon comparable to the system that affected Rota, Guam, and Saipan had struck O‘ahu directly. He proposed a combined Pearl City, ‘Aiea, and Waipahu “super CERT” capable of addressing local needs while also assisting the rest of the island or state. The chair, who has completed CERT training, supported exploring a regional program involving trained volunteers, amateur radio communications, equipment, and supplies, potentially based at the Momilani Community Center. Kailua and Kāne‘ohe were cited as communities with established CERT programs. The board also discussed involving youth, although no specific CERT age program was identified; the American Red Cross does have youth volunteer opportunities. The chair and Nia agreed to approach the Waipahu and ‘Aiea neighborhood boards and seek participants and leadership.
Disaster Preparedness and Vulnerable Residents
Senator Henry Aquino thanked board members who participated in a recent emergency-disaster resource fair and reported that the Legislature appropriated approximately $5 million to help vulnerable populations shelter in place. A future CERT plan could identify residents who cannot evacuate quickly and homes that may need generators, emergency supplies, structural hardening, or other assistance. Emergency preparedness kits left over from the resource fair were made available to attendees, including checklists for essential records and guidance on maintaining two weeks of supplies. The discussion emphasized household readiness, communication plans, and community-level identification of residents who may need specialized support during a hurricane, wildfire, or other major disruption.
Wildfire Mitigation and Detection
In response to a question from a previous meeting, Senator Aquino reported that the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife allocated $1.8 million to the Hui Grant Program for nonprofit organizations conducting hazardous-fuel mitigation. Grant recipients were expected to be announced during the month. An additional $1.7 million was provided for the Hawai‘i Wildfire Risk Reduction Program, which may cover communities not served through the nonprofit grants. Officials will determine whether any funded projects are located in or near Pearl City and ask DLNR to address local wildfire risks if Pearl City is not included. A separate nonprofit was pursuing land-management and stream-restoration work in Waimano Valley and was expected to visit on August 4 after obtaining right of entry. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is using current operating funds to develop camera and software systems capable of identifying fires or hot spots, with plans to request additional funding later. Board members advocated drones and larger-capacity aerial firefighting equipment, including helicopters able to carry 3,000 to 4,000 gallons, and suggested inviting the fire marshal back for a progress report.
Child Exploitation Prevention Presentation
A scheduled presentation on child-exploitation prevention education did not occur because Ashley Flick or another representative was not present or did not respond when called. The board moved forward without hearing the item.
Meeting Rules, Committees, and Representation
The board retained its existing meeting location, time, recess schedule, and oral-testimony rules, including the five-minute maximum for formal presentations. Committee assignments were continued, with Vice Chair Duran leading legislative and capital-improvement priorities; Ryan handling development, planning, and zoning; Rodney overseeing public safety, crime prevention, noise, and disruption mitigation; Dan leading traffic and transportation; Heidi overseeing health, education, and welfare; Chair Veray handling emergency and disaster preparedness; Tony leading parks and recreation as well as recognition of achievers; Michael overseeing youth awareness; and Guy handling environmental improvements. Members may participate across committees as issues arise, and outside community experts may be appointed with board approval. Committee meetings must be conducted with minutes and other formal requirements. Dan will continue as the board’s primary representative to OPA and CAC meetings, with the chair as backup, while Guy will continue representing Pearl City in Pearl Harbor restoration matters. The board formally approved the committee structure.
Transportation Advocacy and Legislative Priorities
The chair praised the board’s previous work in establishing federal, state, and city legislative priorities and encouraged committees to continue coordinating on shared issues. Recent engagement with Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton and staff, including Kelly Akasaki, was described as productive, although city projects may move slowly. Traffic, pedestrian safety, school access, sidewalks, and related infrastructure concerns will remain active priorities, with committee members encouraged to bring in other board members and community specialists when developing solutions.
Pearl City Christmas Parade
The board approved a letter to the Department of Transportation Services supporting the annual Pearl City Shopping Center Christmas parade and its proposed route. The event is scheduled for Sunday, December 6, with participants lining up at 2 p.m. and the parade beginning at 4 p.m. The route will run from Momilani Elementary School to Pearl City Shopping Center. The parade typically includes several nonprofit organizations and remains an established community event requiring city coordination for traffic management and route approval.
Minutes, Announcements, and Adjournment
The board approved the prior regular meeting minutes as written, with no requested corrections. The next Pearl City Neighborhood Board meeting was announced for Tuesday, August 25, at the same location. A broadcast was also planned for ‘Ōlelo Channel 49 on the second Saturday at 6 p.m. The chair thanked board members, staff, public participants, HPD, and the audience, and said the board would address the identified neighborhood issues individually during the coming term before adjourning the meeting.