LIHU‘E — The Hawai’i National Guard assisted the Kaua‘i Police Department with two checkpoints on the island yesterday.
On Tuesday, checkpoints were set up on Kuhio Highway near the Kaua‘i Beach Resort and on Kaumuali‘i Highway near Halfway Bridge. Checkpoint traffic was backed-up about a mile in both directions around noon, according to real-time traffic data on Google Maps.
KPD checkpoints began on Mar. 26 to enforce state and county emergency orders to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus. This was the first instance of the KPD enlisting the help of the National Guard for this purpose, and it will not the last.
“This collaboration, which is under the unified command of Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency’s COVID-19 Incident Management Team, will be the start of more routine checkpoints around the island at various times,” a KPD press release said. Hawai’i National Guard members at checkpoints will not be armed and will defer all enforcement action to the KPD.
For the past two weeks, the KPD has held near-daily checkpoints at random times and locations on the island.
Last week, over 4,000 drivers went through a checkpoint on Kaumuali‘i Highway near Halfway Bridge, most stating they were traveling for essential purposes, the department reported. Checkpoints have been held at locations in Waimea, Hanalei, Poipu and Kapa‘a.
Checkpoint manpower is supplemental to normal patrol and is not drawn from regular patrol resources, KPD Public Information Officer Coco Zickos said in an email Tuesday.
“Patrol officers are dispatched or proactively conducting checks on stay-at-home compliance,” Zickos wrote.
Since stay-at-home orders have been in effect last month, the KPD reported a 41% reduction in major traffic crashes from February to March.
Failure to follow these orders could result in a misdemeanor charge punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or up-to a year of jail time.
“We have reached a critical moment in the pandemic, as case counts climb,” KPD Chief Todd Raybuck said in a press release. “Our island has very limited healthcare resources and we must all give careful consideration to how our individual actions may cause the virus to spread further throughout our community.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the U.S. National Guard in a photo. It was the Hawai’i National Guard. This story was updated April 8 at 9:23 a.m.
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
What a beautiful police state you have there.
Back to the issue of “essential” activities and services; what could possibly be more important for preventing the spread of disease than cleaning services? Yet the king has decreed it “non-essential” and is enforcing compliance with the National Guard??
Harassment on the open road. Big brother finally has his heal on our throats.
It would have been better to build a new hospital with the resources, than to destroy our economy.
““We have reached a critical moment in the pandemic, as case counts climb,” KPD Chief Todd Raybuck said in a press release.”
Case counts are not climbing on Kauai…stop scarring people, chief. Only one person has even been hospitalized the entire time. Enough is enough. Time to end the Nazi-like check points. Land of the free?
RG DeSoto
The more I hear about a National Lockdown, the more I’m convinced that we need to just standup and take the hit from the virus on the chin. Let the chips fall where they may…no more lockdown, no more running away and hiding. This has gone far enough! 😠
Checkpoints: You’re stopped after 20-30-or-40 minutes waiting in line depending on time of day and traffic volume. You’re asked a question in which the questioner has NO means to verify the answer. If the questioner has NO real means to verify the question, then the question has NO purpose. And if the question has NO purpose the checkpoints have NO purpose. It’s a waste of time and energy for citizens, officers and the N.G.’s. Put out the compliance rules/laws on multiple platforms and outlets regularly and most of the citizens of Kauai will gladly comply. There will always be outliers whether there are checkpoints or not. The current policy of checkpoints is political and legal overreach. Many of those waiting in line to be asked a question that has NO verifiable way to confirm are trying to get home to their families or trying to get to necessary appointments. Citizens aren’t stupid. We don’t need unnecessary extreme measures when we know what to do.
Listen, if you’re too ignorant to stay locked down then leave. Simple. The number of cases is growing fools. All these comments are clearly written by someone who’s never seen an actual covid patient. See just one and you’ll be wishing for more lockdown than we have now.
if you find that you need a hospital bed and there are none available, you may change your mind. Grow up Kauai.