During its first meeting since a shooting in Waianae that left four people dead and residents of West Oahu shaken, the Honolulu Police Commission on Wednesday praised Chief Joe Logan for his response to the increasing violence in the area.

Logan has sent dozens of reserve officers to boost staffing in the district that stretches from Ewa Beach to Kaena Point and is working with state law enforcement agencies. He also said HPD leaders will meet every two weeks to assess progress in the area and adjust their strategy as needed.

Police commissioners didn’t press Logan on specifics for his strategy on the Westside but encouraged him to work more closely with other law enforcement agencies, like the Department of Law Enforcement and the National Guard, and partner with groups that can provide social services.

When asked what other state agencies HPD was already partnering with, Logan said officers with the state’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement were stationed at the Waianae Boat Harbor, and the Department of Law Enforcement was helping as needed.

However, he said they “have another operation that they’re working which I can’t go into right now.” 

Westside residents also testified at the meeting about various concerns, including the high number of transitional housing and group homes in the region, heavy traffic, lack of employment opportunities and dearth of services for youth.

The police and other city officials have been under heavy pressure to respond to a spike in violence in recent months, especially after the Aug. 31 shooting on Waianae Valley Road that occurred after a neighborhood dispute escalated.

The commission also came under criticism recently in a city audit for failing to address public concerns about accountability in HPD. An audit released last month called the commission’s oversight of HPD “inconsistent and ineffective.”

Commission Chair Doug Chin said he feels one of Logan’s strengths as chief is working well with other agencies. 

“I think where we as a commission can be in our lane is we know that what Chief Logan can bring to the table is the relationships that he already has built in with these other state agencies and these different players,” Chin said. “That’s something I think, chief, you can do to be able to be helpful in this area and we as a commission can be able to hold you responsible for that.” 

The Department of Law Enforcement, meanwhile, announced that its sheriffs had arrested six people with outstanding warrants on the Leeward Coast as part of a sweep on Tuesday.

The suspects were wanted on a $15,000 warrant for failure to appear in court on charges of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and promoting a dangerous drug, a $5,000 warrant for failure to appear in court after violating a temporary restraining order, contempt warrants totaling $550 for traffic violations, a $5,000 warrant on a charge of promoting a dangerous drug and a no-bail warrant for violating parole after felony assault and burglary convictions. 

The sweep was part of the agency’s effort to boost support to West Oahu, DLE Director Jordan Lowe said.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Tuesday that HPD is sending 12 additional reserve officers per shift to assist at various crime hot spots on the Westside. 

But commissioners said they also want to see more focus on social programs, like mediation, in the community. 

“This is not entirely an HPD issue, it’s a whole community issue,” said commission member Elizabeth Char. “And so HPD definitely has a role in this, but as chief is saying, HPD shows up and diffuses a situation, and if that’s all that’s done and there’s no follow on to that, you’re probably not going to get rid of the problem and it’s going to flare up again at some point in some way.”

Commissioners also discussed the limitations of their oversight of the chief under the city charter with the commission’s attorney in an executive session that was not open to the public. 

Chin said the state’s Sunshine Law allows a board or commission to consult with its attorney in executive session on questions relating to its powers, duties, privileges, immunities and liabilities 

Chin, who attended the first part of the meeting remotely, said he was not in the executive session Wednesday, but he said the topic should be placed on the regular agenda in consultation with an attorney if it merits further discussion.

The commission’s limitations under the city charter was a topic of the recent audit. The charter states that the commission has an obligation to “not interfere in any way” with the administrative matters of HPD, but auditors said this requirement caused commissioners to be too cautious in holding the department accountable.