Gangs in Hawaii
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Most areas and islands of Hawaii have very low crime rates. Residents of Hawaii can usually rest easy at night knowing that the aloha spirit and family-oriented culture of the islands create a safe place to live. Hawaii had about 250 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2017, far below the national rate of 394 violent crimes per 100,000 people, according to the FBI.
The first gang activity in Hawaii to be reported by the media occurred in 1986, when a teenage gang member was killed on the island of Oahu, sparking statewide awareness of gangs. Throughout the 1990s, local news reported fewer than 50 annual reports of gang activity, with the exception of 1996, when there were 125 reports. The Honolulu Police Department has actively combated this gang activity with the assistance of the Hawaii Youth Gang Response System, created by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1990. Thanks to prevention and intervention efforts, there were no reports of gang activity from 2001 to 2004. in press.
Historically, Hawaiian gangs have not been as dangerous as gangs in other parts of the world. They are usually involved in graffiti, theft and drug crimes; murder or gun violence is rare in Hawaii.
Today, the island of Oahu has seen a slight uptick in gang activity over the last couple of years. There are currently several streets and neighborhoods associated with gangs in places like Aliamanu, Halawa, Waianae, Waipahu and Kalihi. In July 2019, Adult Friends for Youth director Deb Spencer-Chun said 14 gangs had been identified at Farrington High School in Kalihi.
The gangs’ main homes are in low-income housing complexes. Some are grouped with members of the same race, such as Filipinos, Hispanics, Micronesians, Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Vietnamese, and Tongans. While gathering data on gangs is difficult because many operate incognito, there is some information available about current gangs on Oahu.
Halawa View Apartments or Halawa Housing Projects is a low-income housing development subsidized by the Federal Government’s Division of Housing and Urban Development. Halawa is an area next to Aiea and close to Aloha Stadium. Halawa is also home to one of Oahu’s main prisons. One gang found in the Halawa housing projects is the 99 Street Halawa Mob Crips.
Kalihi has a 555-unit low-income housing complex, Kuhio Park Terrace , which consists of two recently redeveloped towers. Next door to Kuhio Park Terrace is Kuhio Homes , a two-story low-income housing project. In these large low-income housing complexes you can find the KPT or Parccyde Sons of Samoa Crips gangs.
In Kalihi Valley, just off the Likelike Highway, you’ll find the newly renovated Kam IV Apartments , or Kamehameha Homes, which is public housing operated by the State of Hawaii. This microdistrict is home to the Kam4 gang.
Mayor Wright Homes , also located in Kalihi but away from the valley and near Honolulu Community College, is another large low-income housing complex with 363 apartments. It was built with federal funds and is currently operated by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. The gang discovered at Mayor Wright’s house is called MDubbz.
There are several streets in Waipahu that are known to have small gangs. There is Avudzi on Aniani. Pupuole has PuTown and Awanei has AWZ.
These gangs in Hawaii typically formed due to the islands’ diverse cultures and economic struggles. Some Oahu gangs are offshoots of larger gangs from the mainland, while others are unique to certain areas or apartment complexes, mainly in Honolulu or Waipahu. Despite the presence of some gangs on Oahu, Hawaii as a whole has seen a decline in juvenile arrests and gang activity since its peak in the mid-1990s.