Kihei police have formed a special assignment team to address resident's concerns, which include speeding and drug and alcohol use at parks and beaches. Capt. Tivoli Faaumu, commander of the Kihei Patrol District, said three officers are assigned to the team tackling those issues brought to their attention through calls to police. The same issues were brought to their attention by concerned South Maui residents during a police town hall meeting hosted by Maui Police Chief Gary Yabuta this past week. From October to December, Captain Faaumu said police made 659 traffic stops in South Maui and issued 1,492 citations. They also responded to 162 calls about drunken and disorderly behavior at parks and beaches and to 58 various drug-related incidents. Chief Yabuta said with about 2,000 calls a month that require police to send an officer, the Kihei district is now slightly busier than the Lahaina district, which receives about 1,900 calls for service a month.
