HIGHLIGHTS/ACTIVITIES
This section explains some of the highlights of the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Traditional Prosecution
- Serviced court calendars for Circuit Court, District Court, Family Court, Drug Court and Mental Health Court in Hilo, Kona, Puna, South Kohala, North Kohala, Hamakua and Ka'u.
- Serviced 22,589 cases referred to the office.
Victim Services
- Provided assistance to 3,891 victims and witnesses of crime and their significant others from January to June 2008.
- Coordinated the 3rd Annual Statewide Multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Training in October 2007.
- Provided federal funding to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Child and Family Services, YWCA Empowering Alternatives Program for services to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and homicide.
- Participated in nine community and agency events to provide information/training on program services for victims.
Criminal Justice System
- Secured county funding for a legal clerk position in Kona and a Community Violence Coordinator position to facilitate collaboration and coordination of practices and policies in addressing violence throughout the County of Hawaii.
- Participated in Adult and Juvenile Drug Court in East and West Hawaii. During the fiscal tear there were 87 participants in Adult Drug Court and 13 participants in Juvenile Drug Court. A total of 225 graduated from the Drug Court program.
- Participated in several statewide and island wide interagency groups to develop interventions and strategies to improve the criminal justice system. Participants included: Law Enforcement Coalition (LEC), Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney Association (HPAA), Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, State DV Fatality Review Committee, Human Anti-Trafficking Task Force, Judiciary Statewide Penal Procedures Committee, Hawaii Integrated Justice Information Sharing Executive and Operational Committees, HCHDC Disposition Project, Hawaii Identity Theft & Financial Fraud Task Force, Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force, State Child Welfare Services Advisory Board, Big Island Drug Court Planning Team, Hawaii Internet and Technical Crimes Committee, Big Island Task Force on Criminal Justice, Mental Health Diversion Task Force, Visitor Aloha Society (VASH), County of Hawaii Reintegration "Going Home"" Committee, Family Violence Interagency Committee.
- Coordinated statewide Crash Reconstruction Training, August 2007.
- Receuved federal to enhance the Drug Court program with additional staff, expand monitoring and provide additional training and technical assistance.
Juvinile Issues
- Compiled Hawaii County Children of Incarcerated Parents Workgroup Report.
- Implemented Promoting Alternatives Thinking Strategies (PATHS).
- Continued coordination of the Juvenile Justice strategic pl,an implementation:
- Ongoing effort of the interagency information sharring and case management project to address serious and habitual juvenile offenders.
- Sponsored/co-sponsored workshops and seminars to address juvenile issues:
- Sponsored the Youth Summit September 2007 which was attended by 50 students representing eight schools from throughout the island.
- Co-sponsored Love Shouldn't Hurt, teen dating violence presentations in Kona, Pahoa and Hilo in October 2007.
- Coordinated Child Welfare Service Mandatory Reporters presentations in Hilo, Puna, North Kohala, Ka'u and Kona in October and November 2996 and January and February 2008,
- Supported Na Leo O Na Opio projects — Youth Health and Future Fair in January 2008 and Summer Opportunities Expo in February 2008.
- Participated in Hui Laulima, Business Education Partnership, Hawaii Youth Council, Supporting Keiki of Incarcerated Parents (SKIP), East Hawaii Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect and Puna Roundtable to collaborate on issues relating to high-risk juveniles.
Community Strategies
- Community Oriented Prosecution project in West and East Hawaii provided outreach and support into the community:
- Ongoing participation in Pahoa Weed and Seed effort.
- Participation in Solutions Animal Control and Traffic Safety Task Forces.
- Provided Assistance and support to Neighborhood Watch programs.
- Provided assistance to various communities on issues and problems including Kalapana Seaview Estates, Onomea, Akaka Falls, Orchidland, Paauilo, Captain Cook, Lanakila, Hawaiian Beaches, Kaiwiki, Kapoho Vacationland and the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association.
- Received nine discretionary fund projects from various council members to promote drug prevention, juvenile delinquency prevention and community strengthening efforts through community groups in Hawaii County.
- Provided more than 891 keiki identification cards to promote child safety at 12 community events.
- Sponsored/co-sponsored workshops and seminars to address community v violence issues:
- Co-sponsored Women"s Assault Prevention course in April 2008.
- East Hawaii Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Family Day 2008.
- DV/Family Violence Community Awareness and Access presentation in May 2008.
- DHS Adult & Community Care Services Branch Mandatory Report Training in May 2008.
- Dynamics & Intervention Strategies in Working With Families Struggling With Domestic Violence presentation in June 2008.
Administrative
- Received federal funding totaling $1,033,999 for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Methamphetamine Drug Court Enhancement project, Victims of Crime Act programs, a Violence Against Women deputy, Traffic Safety training project, Non=Support Prosecution project, Juvenile Accountability Block Grant project and Title V PATHS project.
- Received state funding totaling $712,768 for the Career Criminal and Victim/Witness programs.
- Renovation of new Hilo office at Aupuni Center completed in August 2007. Office operations relocated in September 2007.
- Laserfiche document management system installed in March 2008.
- Implemented Horizontal Integration Project in January 2008. Hawaii County was the pilot site for electronic interfacing of police booking information to the Prosecuting Attorney HITS case tracking system.
- Approval obtained for expansion of the Waimea office.
- Coordinated 2,461 volunteer hours in the Hilo, Kona and Waimea offices. Volunteers provided support to clerical, administrative, legal and investigative staff.