Hawai‘i County conducts Parks’ rules enforcement in Kona

The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation, in coordination with the Hawaiʻi Police Department, the Office of Housing and Community Development and various other State agencies and nongovernment service providers, conducted a comprehensive park rules enforcement effort at the Kona Community Aquatic Center and Kekuaokalani Gymnasium early Thursday.

The Feb. 22 operation, led by the directive of Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth, aimed to address safety concerns and guarantee compliance with Parks’ rules within the facility’s grounds, ensuring the safety and functionality of the park for all residents and visitors.

Fourteen individuals were contacted by HOPE services’ outreach team and Kona community policing officers as part of an informational campaign throughout the week. As of Thursday morning, eight remained in and around the premises. Six of the remaining individuals accepted offers for housing and other services, while the others refused services and left without citation or incident.

To ensure the proper handling of all personal property, the County arranged for a secure storage facility. Five individuals had their personal belongings stored and inventoried. They will be able to retrieve their belongings easily over the next 30 days. 

With the completion of the enforcement effort, all safety and rule violations within the Kona Community Aquatic Center have been addressed, according to the County of Hawai‘i.

The County is reminding the public that future enforcement efforts are planned to address various issues at parks around the island as part of ongoing initiatives to ensure the safety, cleanliness and functionality of public spaces.