By Associated Press - Tuesday, April 21, 2020

HILO, Hawaii (AP) - Daily arrests on Hawaii’s Big Island have plunged 33% since the governor issued a stay-at-home order because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hawaii County Police Department said.

Hawaii Police Chief Ferreira confirmed the decrease in arrests during the period after Democratic Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamation took effect March 25, The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Monday.

The decrease has various explanations, including an expanded use of citations by officers to deal with some crimes, Ferreira said.

“We’re not actively going out there and pursuing (suspects on) bench warrants,” Ferreira said. “In other words, if you got a traffic ticket in February, and you got a bench warrant for not appearing in court, we’re not even looking at those warrants.”

Arrests for bench warrants would likely result in release and a court dates later in the year, Ferreira said.

Another factor in reduced arrest figures is the smaller number of people committing crimes in their vehicles, including driving under the influence.

“Because the bars are closed, and because of the stay-at-home order, you have less people on the roadway,” Ferreira said.

Officers continue to arrest people wanted for violating terms of parole, Ferreira said.

“And any sort of violent crime, those arrests are going to happen,” he said.

Some who have been arrested and charged with serious property crimes have had judges eliminate their cash bail during their initial court appearances because of state Supreme Court-mandated population reductions in the state’s jails and prisons because of the coronavirus.

“Nobody wants to see an outbreak, anywhere, and officers don’t want to crowd the jails, either,” Ferreira said.

County police retain primary responsibility for enforcing the 14-day quarantine of visitors arriving on interisland flights, Ferreira said.

“Right now, the process that is in place is Hawaii Tourism Authority collects the names and gets the information at the airports,” Ferreira said. “That information is passed on to Civil Defense and, in turn, our dispatch center.”

Police have also been busy with those who violate the emergency stay-at-home order and social distancing requirements, he said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

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