A military police officer with the 57th Military Police Company, 728th MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, scans an ID at Kawamura Gate, Wheeler Army Airfield. (Photo by Sarah Pacheco)
“People expect others to report crime or suspicious activity, but it’s everyone’s responsibility.” – Brian Crum
Law Enforcement Division
Directorate of Emergency Services
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii
WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii -- We at U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Directorate of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Division are committed to making our communities as safe and secure as possible for service members and their families.
In this month’s issue of "The Police Perspective," we will be focusing on some initiatives that both Schofield and Fort Shafter police stations have begun. We will also review a few best practices and the iWATCH program that community members can use to help ensure the safety of our communities.
1. Police Station Initiatives
Our Military Police and Department of the Army Civilian Police Officers work hard each and every day to ensure the safety of our community. Below are some of the initiatives our Law Enforcement personnel are taking across our communities on Oahu:
- Increased patrol presence within communities that have had a recent uptick in property crimes. Patrols are told to look specifically for groups or individuals that appear out of place and conduct field interviews with persons of interest.
- Formed a special task force that is focused on stolen vehicles and vehicle theft. This task force consists of over 15 senior military police officers that conduct several different types of operations all focused on making our communities safer.
- Increased walking patrols within the communities in order to grow our presence and encourage community relations.
2. Best Practices
We recommend several best practices:
- Lock and secure all doors on vehicles and remove any valuable items from the vehicles if the vehicle is going to be left unattended for multiple hours.
- Ensure outside lights on your home are on to light up the area and reduce crime opportunities.
- If you see anyone that seems suspicious that is out looking at vehicles or appears to be walking around multiple vehicles looking inside, please notify the Provost Marshall Office, or PMO, immediately. Please try and attain a description of the individual, such as race, clothing, and height, as well as a location and direction of travel.
- If you see a vehicle that is driving around your housing area and seems to be making multiple trips, and the driver or vehicle isn't recognized to live or stay in that area, please call the PMO. Please try to get the vehicle tag, make, model, and number of occupants.
3. iWATCH
iWATCH Army is the Army’s neighborhood watch program that highlights the national effort to “see something, say something.” When you see something out of the ordinary, report it. When reporting, it is important to provide as much information as possible to law enforcement. Don't worry if you don't have all the pieces of information; report what you can.
Do not put yourself in harm's way to gather more information to report, and do not risk being seen by the person(s) whom you are observing. Simply report what you can immediately and provide as much information as possible. A “see something, say something” moment could be when you see several people who appear to be working in unison exhibiting suspicious behavior; this may be innocent, but please, take the time to say something to authorities.
Schofield PMO can be reached at (808) 655-5555 and Shafter PMO can be reached at (808) 438-7114.