Police Cite, Arrest 35 For Lockdown, Quarantine Violations

The Hawai‘i Police Department has continued enforcement of Gov. David Ige’s mandatory lockdown and 14-day traveler quarantine orders. HPD said this is done primarily in cases of non-compliance after verbal warnings or when in conjunction with unrelated calls for service.

During the week of April 22 to April 28, 2020, specific to the offense of “Prohibited Acts” (Emergency Management), Hawaiʻi Police Department officers arrested 17 persons and cited 18 persons for a total of 35 violations. They are broken down by district as follows:

• South Hilo District: 11 persons arrested, 9 persons cited
• North Kohala: 2 persons arrested
• Kona District: 1 person arrested, 4 persons cited
• South Kohala District: 1 person arrested, 2 persons cited
• Puna District: 1 person arrested, 1 person cited
• Hāmākua: 1 person arrested
• Kaʻū District: 2 persons cited

Four of the 17 arrests were specific to visitors violating the 14-day travel self-quarantine, with three arrests in South Hilo and one arrest in Kona.

During this past week: Other unrelated criminal offenses, which prompted the police response and subsequent arrest of the suspects, involved the following crimes: Robbery, Unauthorized Control of Propelled Motor Vehicle (UCPV), Theft, Abuse Family Household Member, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Property Damage, Criminal Tampering and Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of Intoxicants/DUI.

Some of the behavior exhibited by violators to whom citations were issued consisted of disregarding repeated warnings by police, traffic/motor vehicle offenses and congregating/loitering on/alongside the road or at a park/beach area.

The Hawai‘i Police Department’s five-week combined total enforcement stands at 267 individual offenses, including 72 arrests, 186 citations issued and nine additional cases.

Any person who intentionally or knowingly violates any provision of the orders is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, the person shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.