Episode 21: Creating a safer Waikīkī
Mayor Blangiardi joins host Brandi Higa on the One O‘ahu Podcast this week to discuss gun violence on O ‘ahu, curbing crime in Waikīkī, and key leadership announcements and commission nominees.
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Gun violence on O‘ahu
On June 17, 2023, 17-year old Richianna DeGuzman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head in Māʻili.
“No mother should have to suffer that pain, or any parent for that matter,” reacted Mayor Blangiardi. The Mayor went on to share a conversation he had while meeting with the victim’s family. “They told me some encouraging news the other day that she was showing some vital signs that the doctors were encouraged by. But I will tell you that it’s a really incredibly sad event. So tragic because it was just so unnecessary.”
DeGuzman’s shooting comes on the heels of the deadly shooting of 17-year old Miquel Agoo Jr. at Mākaha Beach Park in May.
Curbing crime in Waikīkī
Nightly closures from the Royal Hawaiian Groin in Waikīkī to Kūhiō Beach began in March in an effort to address a range of problems associated with overnight campers.
“(It is going) pretty good, actually, because we added to that,” explained Mayor Blangiardi. “We added private security and we have three teams of two. Six people, experienced, all badge officers, off-duty, who are highly-trained. They’re also hand-picked.”
On this episode, Mayor Blangiardi describes other measures taken to increase safety and security, such as the addition of more plain clothes officers, crime reduction unit officers, and private security.
Leadership announcements
On June 20, Mayor Blangiardi announced that Keith Suzuka will serve as Deputy Director of the Department of Land Management and Ben Sullivan will serve as Deputy Director of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency.
Prior to joining the Department of Land Management, Suzuka was a partner with McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP. He has more than 30 years of business law, residential and commercial real estate experience both in the U.S. and Japan. Sullivan has worked in the city’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency for the past two years as an Energy Program Manager.
Then on June 26, another announcement, this time for the appointments of two highly-qualified individuals to serve on the Honolulu Liquor Commission. The individuals who have been selected to serve are Lisa Martin and Salvador Petilos.
Martin, currently works at Sutton Construction, Inc. as a Financial Coordinator and Human Resources Professional. She is also the owner of Cloudscape Corporation, a business solutions provider for small businesses. Petilos most recently served as the Director for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Salt Lake City, Utah for nearly a decade.
