Video by David Corrigan | Voice of Stephanie Salazar

Hawaii County Police were on the hot seat in Hilo on Thursday evening… literally.

Anyone who has ever been on the lit stage of the Palace Theatre knows how warm it gets… and that’s where Police Chief Harry Kubojiri and his fellow law enforcement officers sat for a special public meeting organized by the Downtown Hilo Improvement Association.

While the format was a bit unusual, the questions asked by those in the audience were what you might expect from business owners and residents of the downtown area.

One of the big problem areas… Kalakaua Park, where homelessness and drug dealing have the neighborhood on edge. Police told the audience they are working on the issues.

Police believe that the recent use of bike patrols, downtown surveillance cameras, and Crime Reduction Unit (or CRUs for short) patrols have had an impact on the troubles.

Police urged the public to call anytime in order to inform them about problems.

They also said that next time, maybe the meeting can be held “off-stage”.