ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú students and community members at the neighborhood watch program.
On April 27, 2023, members from the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú community and the Chinatown-downtown Honolulu neighborhood gathered in multipurpose room three at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú’s Aloha Tower Marketplace campus to hear what three ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú classes uncovered through surveys, interviews, roundtable discussions, participation in local government processes, and participation in the local neighborhood watch program.
The three ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú classes on crime and community in action/crime in the Chinatown-downtown Honolulu neighborhood were CJ 3600, CJ 6998, and CJ 7001/7002. This program was the culminating event of an exploration of criminal justice issues facing the Chinatown-Downtown neighborhood led by ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú associate professor Jennifer M. Merkle, J.D. and ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú instructor, program chair of criminal justice Sheryl Sunia, M.S.C.J.A.
Jennifer Walsh speaks to a full room at the neighborhood watch program.
ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú students created and executed action plans to help enhance the community and gave mini ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú talks on their projects; they were also available to “talk-story” with the community. Project Paint demonstrated how a clear-coat paint allowed for spray paint to be removed with just water and a little rubbing and the Adopt-A-Block program afforded the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú community the opportunity to ask President John Gotanda, J.D., to allow ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú to Adopt-A-Block and encouraged those in attendance to have their business, condominium association, or other group Adopt-A-Block as well.
ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D., delivered opening remarks to the numerous community members and leaders who were in attendance, including James Tabe, Public Defender; Thomas Brady, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney; Steven Nichols, Senior Public Defender; Anton Krucky, Office of the Mayor, Director of Dept. of Community Service; Neighborhood Board No. 13 Chair Ernest Caravalho, and Members Kevin Lye, Robert Armstrong, and Willis Moore; as well as the Honolulu Police Department and the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center.
The program was a great success with more than 50 community members in attendance.
