HONOLULU (KHON2) – With Waikiki being one of Hawaii’s premier locations, filled with tourists, but also home to a lot of crime and homeless, the Waikiki Business Improvement District decided it was time to amp up security.
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So they launched a new program in collaboration with the Honolulu Police Department, Elevated Safety ambassadors, 24/7 security presence, decked in neon green outfits, body cams, and trained in advanced first aid, de-escalation, and handling mental health issues.
Over the first two months of the program, it’s so far been a success.
“We’ve just seen a real decrease in the activity out there,” said Dave Willard, Vice President of WBID. “They’re able to de-escalate situations and actually reduce the amount of calls that normally go to the police department. The team is able to respond to these often times before it even escalates into something that would disrupt and end up in a police call.”…