Kaua'i's Drug Court officially has two clients, who appeared in Fifth Circuit Court about 8 a.m. Tuesday to plead guilty to drug crimes and enter the minimum 12-month, drug treatment-based program. The hearing was the first proceeding in the newly-organized drug court program, Kaua'i being the last office to be set up in the state. In the courtroom, two men stood side by side with public defender John Calma as staff of the drug court program and other attorneys sat in the front row of the gallery. Both men admitted to the charges, in unrelated cases: They were in possession of crystal methamphetamine or a drug pipe containing the substance. Prosecutor Michael Soong, with deputy Aaron Kakinami, accepted the men's referrals to drug court. The two men underwent a pre-screening trial the week previous. [continues 643 words]
Kaua'i now has a drug court, an alternative to imprisonment for drug offenders facing criminal charges, with treatment options and closer supervision by a drug counselor and probation officer. Kaua'i's drug court, set up by the state Judiciary, is the latest one to open in the state. The system, unlike traditional prosecution, allows charges to be dismissed if defendants successfully complete 18 months of counseling, drug testing and possibly community service and job training. "We are going to take the person and stop them from using drugs," said drug court coordinator Alton Amimoto said at a hearing conducted by the joint House-Senate Taskforce on Ice and Drug Abatement at the County of Kaua'i Council Chambers, at the Historic County Building Monday, Aug. 11. Amimoto at that hearing announced that the program has three clients with more being referred. [continues 1038 words]
An islandwide drug prevention plan for Kaua'i is being developed by Councilman Mel Rapozo along with heads of community programs and health agencies. The plan is called "Communities that Care," or CTC for short, and is aimed at helping to mobilize the community against illicit drug use and dealing, along with helping the build up resistance to drug use by local youth and other groups through a variety of methods. The program is to provide anti-drug training for select local lawmakers and residents, plus help organize surveys and information gathering aimed at getting a handle on Kaua'i's drug problems and create a specialized anti-drug plan for Kaua'i. [continues 811 words]
Lieutenant Governor James "Duke" Aiona was on Kaua'i Friday to speak to the Kaua'i Rotary Club, which held its regular meeting at the Terrace Restaurant at the Kauai Marriott Resort. Aiona talked about his 12 years of experience as a circuit court and family court judge, a time he called the "changing point" in his life both personally and professionally. He estimated that 80 percent of his cases were related to alcohol or drug abuse. While on the bench, he developed the first drug court in the state, which provides treatment or rehabilitation, community service and alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders. [continues 363 words]
The first round of Mayor Bryan Baptiste's drug summit meetings ended in Waimea Saturday with a speech from Lieutenant Governor James "Duke" Aiona. Aiona, a former family and circuit court judge assigned to the "career criminal" and "sex offender" units and a drug court judge, acknowledged that a majority of criminal cases are drug-related and there's a lot of work to be done. He said he hopes that people can start focusing more on what can actually be done, using buzzwords like "community development" and "coordination." [continues 548 words]
Mayor Bryan Baptiste is eyeing the Kaua'i Humane Society's old Hanapepe site as a potential drug treatment facility for adolescents. Nearby Salt Pond Beach Park is known to be a popular hangout, campsite, drinking area and meeting place, but the fenced-in property is one that the county already owns and could renovate. "The question is: 'Can we come together as a community against these people who believe it's OK to profit off our children,'" Baptiste said at a drug summit meeting held Saturday at Waimea Plantation Cottages. [continues 277 words]
We may all know Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox from the 1980s sitcom "Coach" or as Chief of Police Jack Mannion on the CBS show "The District." The television and film star was invited to the county's fourth community drug summit Thursday night to speak about "choices." Malia Rosa-Tokioka, the popular local singer and teen substance abuse counselor for a drug treatment center called Hina Mauka, was also invited to speak. What the two have in common is recovery from drug addiction. The lesson was: If they can fall prey to addiction, so can you, your mom or your dad, or your kids, teachers, neighbors and friends. Recovery is possible with patience, support and love. About 150 people showed up at the meeting, held at Kapa'a Elementary School's cafetorium. [continues 1045 words]
The Kaua'i Police Department has received several new assets to help run drug investigation operations and education programs, the County Council learned at its regular meeting Thursday. The Kaua'i Government Employees Credit Union donated a 1992 GMC worth about $40,000, to be used as a mobile command center that can respond to major incidents and crime scenes. Also, $25,000 in supplemental grant funds were appropriated by the state Department of Transportation will be used in support of the state's seat belt and child restraint laws in the national "Click it or Ticket" campaign. About $16,250 will be used for overtime pay to officers and a clerk to compile statistics; and $8,750 is for Child Passenger Safety Technician training for five officers. [continues 575 words]
Residents from Lihu'e, Puhi and Hanama'ulu turned out for the county's second drug summit meeting Tuesday night At the meeting, Mayor Bryan Baptiste listed the county's top priorities in fighting the drug war. "We have decided as a county to take a leading role in the effort in the war against drugs," Baptiste said. "The role is not one of monetary support or resources, but to bring a lot of different resources together." Roy Nishida, the county's drug program "czar" said he wants the community and government to work together in implementing a drug-war plan that is being drawn up. [continues 686 words]
The Senate Ways and Means committee Friday passed a bill that would provide Kaua'i with money to combat crystal methamphetamine use. The bill would provide funding for enforcement, but may also include funding for treatment and prevention. The amount of funds for the project remains "unspecified." Prior versions of the bill had the money coming from asset forfeitures, tobacco stamp taxes and the federal tobacco settlement fund. "In general, I think spending forfeiture money to fund drug treatment programs is a very good idea," said state Sen. Gary Hooser (D-East Kaua'i-Ni'ihau) in a call from his Honolulu office Friday afternoon. [continues 502 words]
After dozens of community meetings, some labeled "Crisis on Drugs," and public appearances in which Mayor Bryan Baptiste said he would hire a drug program coordinator, someone has been chosen for the job. Roy Nishida, former executive director for Kauai Economic Opportunity, was chosen by a selection committee and hired by Baptiste on March 25. He moves into the Mo'ikeha Building April 16. "I'm not really experienced in drug treatment, I look at it like community development," Nishida said in an interview with The Garden Island. [continues 915 words]
At just about all of Mayor Bryan Baptiste's public appearances since a Feb. 12 "Crisis on Drugs" meeting, he's challenged the community to perform small miracles, and the community challenged him to hire a "drug program coordinator." Eight people had applied as of Friday but resumes are due at close of business March 13. Kaui Tanaka of the Mayor's Office would not comment on who submitted résumés. The selection committee will meet Monday to determine the guidelines and timelines, Tanaka said. [continues 296 words]
The solution to Kaua'i's drug problem is a coordinated effort from everybody in the community. That's the island-wide message coming from community leaders these days. Wednesday night two meetings were held to address the issue, one at Princeville and one at 'Ele'ele School. About 100 North Shore businesspeople and residents from around the island came to the North Shore Business Association's annual meeting Thursday to hear what the Kaua'i Police Department, the island's treatment centers and schools are doing about Kaua'i's substance abuse problems. [continues 711 words]
A Kaua'i Police Department in-school officer has made about 100 substance abuse arrests at Kapa'a High School in less than one year, with many of the arrests drug-related. Some 75 percent of the arrests were of ninth graders. Kaua'i Police Department School Resource Officer Mark Ozaki and others spoke out about the drug abuse situation in the Kawaihau District at a meeting on the problem held at Kapa'a Elementary School Thursday. Vice Officers Darla Abbatiello, Paddy Ramson, and Ale Quibilan displayed drugs and paraphernalia at the meeting. They answered questions about what the KPD can and cannot do in regards to neighborhood drug busts. [continues 1048 words]
Crisis On Drugs Group Gets Advice From Off Island Halfway through a session that went from enthusiastic to somewhat nit-picky when it came to discussion of plotting of "systemic approaches to development of plans," Mayor Bryan Baptiste pounded his fist on the table. "I hope that the coordinator can put all the pieces together. I need someone who will eat, sleep, whatever the crusade against this epidemic. I am not going to wait anymore. I can be criticized for it, but I'm going to take that first step. I'm going to do it," he said. [continues 933 words]
Many involved in the fight against drugs on Kaua'i agree there are gaps in the process from law enforcement to treatment and follow-up care. Those who need drug treatment have some options on the island, "intensive outpatient treatment" being the most common plan. Kaua'i's three centers offer outpatient services, which consist of group sessions and counseling, check-ins and meetings. A detox center is available at Mahelona for alcohol and "street drugs" like crystal methamphetamine, the drug of choice these days. [continues 1086 words]
"The drug problem is our biggest problem and a reflection of other challenges we face," Mayor Bryan Baptiste said at a meeting held Thursday morning to address what's being called a drug abuse crisis on Kaua'i. More than 60 representatives from various Kaua'i drug prevention, intervention and treatment agencies met at the Civil Defense Agency's Emergency Operations Center to discuss actions that have-and haven't-worked, and how to organize efforts islandwide. Kaua'i Police Department vice officer suggested a county-wide operations plan, which includes creating a framework for organizing the dozens of different agencies working on the drug problem, and drawing up specific objectives to a general plan. [continues 719 words]
The Kaua'i Police Department is using a new federal computer communications system that has the power to track drug offenders and suspects throughout the United States. Larry Burnett, director of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, presented a series of crime statistics related to the increasing drug problem in Hawai'i, in particular, crystal methamphetamine - often called "ice" or "batu." The monthly police commission meeting was held Friday afternoon in the Historic County Building. Burnett said the goal is to reduce drug-related crime in Hawai'i by 10 percent in two years; by 25 percent in five years. A statewide $2.5 million grant will go toward programs to achieve that goal. The KPD is eligible for about $90,000 for training and specific drug operations. [continues 527 words]
