Haʻikū Community Association shares public safety tips

In the wake of a burglary and sex assault in Haʻikū  last month, the Haʻikū Community Association is urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Maui Police Department. The non-emergency number is 808-244-6400. For an emergency, call 911.

Public safety tips include:

• Form a community watch network: Establish a group of residents dedicated to communication and vigilance. Rotate evening “neighborhood walks” or “porch watch” shifts to keep an active presence. Use walkie-talkies, group text threads, or apps like WhatsApp/Nextdoor to quickly share suspicious activity.
• Strengthen communication channels: Get to know your neighbors if you don’t already know them. Create a community phone tree so urgent updates reach everyone immediately. Encourage neighbors to check in with one another, especially those living alone.
• Sound the alarm: Use a bear horn, whistle or personal alarm to alert neighbors immediately if someone feels threatened. Neighbors should turn on outside lights, step out safely, if possible, and call 911 immediately.
• Improve home and street visibility: Keep porch and yard lights on at night. Coordinate with neighbors to trim hedges, install motion-activated lights or add affordable security cameras
• Support and protect each other: Offer to walk each other home at night or accompany anyone feeling unsafe. Ensure that women and children in particular have a safe place to go if necessary.
• Work hand-in-hand with law enforcement: Document and report all suspicious behavior immediately. Even small details help build a stronger case. Invite local officers to speak at a community meeting to share strategies and updates.
• Build a safety coalition: Designate point people in different areas of town to serve as liaisons between residents and law enforcement. Organize regular safety meetings, both in person and online, to share information and coordinate next steps.

The community association is also actively monitoring water quality and the health of streams.

Residents are invited to explore water quality data on the community association’s website by clicking here.