Mahalo, police
May 12 to May 18 is National Police Week — a week that is set aside across our nation to recognize and honor the valuable public service that police departments provide for our communities.
This year, in particular, our department is in need of support and encouragement. It has been the most challenging 12 months that I can remember since serving as a police chaplain.
Our department has been hit by a number of tragedies this year, the worst of which was the line of duty death of Officer Bronson Kaliloa last July. Our entire department is still very much grieving the loss of this very beloved brother officer. Our thoughts and prayers remain continually with his wife Casey and their 3 children.
This tragedy was made worse by the fact that our officers were exhausted from working 12-hour shifts for a period of several months during the lava flow crisis.
We have an outstanding department with outstanding leadership, and they are deserving of all the respect and appreciation that we can show them during this week that is set aside for that purpose.
Join with me in making time to show your appreciation through letters or acts of kindness sent to your local station, or just reaching out to any officer you know personally and thanking them for their service.
Renee Godoy
Police chaplain,
Hawaii Police Department
No restrooms?
Nice to hear that the Kuawa Street park will finally be ready to use later this year.
That’s great and all, but where are the restrooms? Players, participants and spectators will often have the need to “go,” and there is nothing there for people to use.
Sure, they could go across the street to the Hilo boat harbor, but wait — those restrooms have been locked up for almost two months now with porta-potties (never with any paper, of course) next to them, and really they are only used by very desperate people.
Or they could go down to the restrooms at Lili‘uokalani Park, but that’s a long way away. The baseball field’s building is always locked up, unless there are players doing their things over there.
So, where can people go to relieve themselves at Kuawa Street park? It’s against the law to urinate (or worse) in public, but that’s going to happen without any restrooms.
And the lack of garbage containers (here and at the baseball fields) are another problem that needs to be resolved down the line sometime also. It’s going to be a mess unless the county does something, otherwise the $3.3 million spend is just a waste.
Jim Cheney
Hilo
