Hawai‘i Island police step up enforcement of underage drinking

With student summer break in full swing, multiple units of Hawai‘i Island police, including the Hilo Community Policing Section, Area I Juvenile Aid Section, and South Hilo Patrol District are stepping up enforcement of underage drinking, curfew and park hours violations.

“These measures aim to ensure the safety of everyone utilizing the beach and parks during the student summer break and to provide a secure environment for all,” said Lt. William Derr, of HPD’s Hilo Community Policing Section.

Enforcement teams will be patrolling areas regularly and will cite anyone who violates liquor laws, such as underage drinking and drinking illegally in public.

In the first six months of 2024, Hawai‘i Island police arrested five people for underage drinking, compared to 13 underage drinking arrests in 2023 and 16 arrests in 2022.

For more information, call the Hilo Community Policing Section at 808-961-2350.

Additionally, DUI roadblocks and patrols continue islandwide.

During the week of June 24-30, Hawai‘i Island police arrested 17 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Five of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident.

So far this year, there have been 484 DUI arrests compared with 493 during the same period last year, a decrease of 1.83%.

Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 498 major crashes so far this year, compared with 429 during the same time last year, an increase of 16.08%.

To date, there have been 18 fatal crashes, resulting in 20 fatalities (two of which had multiple deaths and one crash was reclassified as a suicide), compared with 9 fatal crashes, resulting in 10 fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths, and one died at a later date) for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 100% for fatal crashes and 100% for fatalities.

In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is zero compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.