National News

Mixed results from Kakaako homeless sweep

It's a tale of two parks in Kakaako. Kakaako Gateway park just had a big homeless sweep.

Posted Updated

By
Avijah Scarbrough
KAKAAKO, HI — It's a tale of two parks in Kakaako. Kakaako Gateway park just had a big homeless sweep.

"Its so much cleaner," said Jordyn Montalbo who works in Kakaako. "I notice a lot of kids coming around a lot of parents bringing their dogs."

But the homeless who have been cleared out, relocated just a few blocks away to Mother Waldron Park, and businesses are feeling the effects.

"Its definitely an issue for people in this area," said Blake Ady who works near Mother Waldron Park. "People are not happy about it."

Island News spoke to several business managers who could not go on camera, but they said their business is suffering, customers are complaining and they don't know what to do about it.

"The problem is nobody has a solution for these people right now," said Ady.

One store manager told us the homeless have been moving into his parking lot making a huge mess, but they scatter before the police show up only to return later. Another manager said he's noticed that with each sweep, groups of homeless are just moving further mauka.

The Department of Facility Maintenance Director told Island News their crews regularly enforce the stored property and Sidewalk Nuisance (SNO) Ordinances at Mother Waldron Park and the surrounding streets. He said scheduled enforcement actions are posted to their website.

Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.