The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) was stretched thin on New Year's Eve as they grappled with an overwhelming number of calls for service, which included 592 related to fireworks violations. In a post-event briefing reported by Hawaii News Now, HPD Assistant Chief Brian Lynch explained the challenge: "We went to 778 firework-type or other criminal-type calls that we couldn’t establish anything, and we left and went on to the next one."
Despite an estimated 250 officers on patrol that night, HPD issued only 29 fireworks citations and made two fireworks-related arrests while responding to a grand total of 778 calls. This discrepancy led to scrutiny during the Police Commission meeting, where officials questioned the effectiveness of the measures in place. Kenneth Silva, HPD Commission Chair, posed a poignant query regarding the lack of "major deterrence" on this front. Lynch told KHON2, "Imagine having 500 people jaywalking across the street all at once, and you’ve got say 30 officers, how many citations do you think we’re gonna get?"
The evening's strategy also included drone surveillance, a tactic that was eventually abandoned due to logistical complications and a need for more on-the-ground personnel. "If you’ve ever tried to coordinate with what somebody sees up in the air with the guys on the ground, it’s kinda hard," Lynch acknowledged in his statement obtained by KHON2. Despite incidents that night, HPD suggests there was a decrease in fireworks-related disturbances in some neighborhoods compared to previous years, a trend possibly linked to the Department of Law Enforcement's proactive fireworks seizures at the ports.
Looking ahead, officials are considering adjustments to strategy and the allocation of resources. During the Commission meeting, Lynch conceded that expectations set initially might have been too ambitious. "This is gonna take years for it to dwindle down. So can we do better? Yes. Will we do better? Yes," he told KHON2.
