Crime, housing among topics discussed at Oahu South town hall

ALIAMANU MILITARY RESERVATION, Hawaii - The Oahu South Community town hall meeting was held here, Oct. 13.

The quarterly meeting gives senior leaders a chance to keep the community's Soldiers and family members informed.

"We are here to listen to your concerns and try to solve problems based on information provided," said Col. Douglas Mulbury, commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii.

Lt. Col. Daniel Hulsebosch, director, Directorate of Emergency Services, provided installation security updates. He said that assaults and property crime decreased during this fiscal year's third quarter, when compared to the same time last year. He urged continued vigilance in securing personal property and keeping doors locked.

"We strongly urge everyone to lock cars and homes, and not leave anything of value in plain sight," he said.

Additional security measures include plans to staff security gates here and at Red Hill with two Department of the Army security guards, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, starting Nov. 1.

Also, the iWatch program has replaced the previous neighborhood watch program that dealt just with crime, since the iWatch program relies on individuals reporting suspicious activities.

"The anonymous crime tip program is yielding valuable information, and we strongly encourage the community to use this convenient reporting tool," Hulsebosch said.

Vickie Domingo, director, south region operations, Island Palm Communities, presented a housing update, and she said that staff from the community centers will visit with residents to learn about their concerns in the future.

"The team wants to get feedback on services and how we can make improvements in the short-term, and to address any immediate concerns and work towards a resolution," she said.

Island Palm Communities has also created a Resident Advisory Panel, an all-volunteer community panel. RAP will gather community-based feedback that Island Palm Communities will use for events and improvements.

Mulbury took questions from the audience and emphasized the importance of listening to community member concerns and trying to solve them.

The next town hall meeting is scheduled for the first week of December, and it will be a broadcast live on TV2.

One way residents can help keep their neighborhood safe is by submitting anonymous crime tips to <a href="http://www.militarycrimetips.com">www.militarycrimetips.com</a>. Also, community members can stay informed by visiting <a href="http://www.islandpalmcommunities.com">www.islandpalmcommunities.com</a>.