A classic photo of me at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
As you can see, it has beautiful green hills.
On the other side of the hills is the ocean.
It was meant to be a great place to ride a bike, walk, fish and relax.
To top it all off, it is in the urban center, just a short distance from downtown, Ala Moana and Waikiki.
Sadly, it has been shut down indefinitely due to the city's inability to protect its facilities from vandalism.
The homeless have been blamed because many put up settlements within the park.
Most of the homeless don't really bother anyone, but a few incidents can scare people away.
The city government is now banning everyone from going inside the park to repair vandalized facilities.
Meanwhile, some of the homeless refuse to move to a shelter, and they'll go wherever they can occupy.
As noted in a recent article, the park itself was supposed to be a relaxing place for everyone. A place for residents & tourists, the rich & poor.
The city government needs to put 24-7 security at the park to secure property as well as the park users.
When I say "24-7", I'm NOT asking for storm troopers out to harass & profile, just some friendly guards who are ready to intervene when there is real trouble.
The park also need 24-7 maintenance personnel. Some of the homeless can be hired as part of the maintenance personnel. Train them to fix any broken sinks, toilets and fixtures. Have them replace the toilet paper, paper towels and soap immediately!
Let's make this park a magical place to be again :)
