HONOLULU (KHON2) — The City and County of Honolulu is cracking down on illegal game rooms.
On June 19, Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed three new bills into law that enhance penalties and gives the city the opportunity to shut down illegal game rooms more effectively.
In the last year, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s office says the Honolulu Police Department was able to shut down 60 game rooms.
“We take out one [game room] and they open somewhere else,” explained HPD Maj. Ray Ikehara. “We find one, the community sends us complaints about it, and it’s a non-stop chase.”
HPD said the three new bills signed into law by Blangiardi are more tools to help keep game rooms out of residential neighborhoods.
“The community members are living next to game rooms where there is trafficking, shootings, guns, we need to take them out of residential areas so we can feel safe,” said Honolulu City Councilmember Andria Tupola.
Bill 11 creates fines for gambling devices and requires owners to register all games.
“And if they don’t, HPD will be able to seize them, we will work with them on forfeiting, if it’s not a gambling thing they have nothing to worry about,” explained Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm.
The other law strengthens the relationship between the Department of Planning and Permitting and HPD to crack down on building code violations and make it a financial burden for operators.
The other makes it easier for owners to seek evictions with HPD.
“In the past, there would be game rooms and we would execute search warrants and maybe a week or two later they would reopen again,” explained HPD Sgt. Leland Kudaishi. “But there weren’t many consequences after that, these new bills will make it easier to address them.”
In Waianae alone, the city says there were 26 game rooms and now they are down to 11.
The city announced on Thursday that $1.7 million has been appropriated to get the upper level of the Waianae police station going.