Police officers shall identify, investigate,
and report environmental crimes concerning water
pollution, solid waste pollution, and hazardous
waste. (See Chapters 342D and 342J, Section 342H-30,
and other related sections of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.)

The public may report common environmental
crimes to the Honolulu Police Department
(HPD) or officers may encounter such crimes
during their course of duty. Federal, state,
and local prosecutors have agreed to review
and prosecute these cases. There are both
criminal and civil penalties for such offenses.
When conducting an initial investigation
after determining that an environmental
crime has occurred, the handling officer shall:

A. Take all precautions as outlined
in Policy 4.42, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION EMERGENCIES;

B. Take all appropriate investigative
and enforcement actions, including interviewing
witnesses and photographing containers and labels, as well as the scene;

C. Protect the crime scene;

D. Notify the field sergeant; and

E. Notify the appropriate agency as listed
in section III of this directive.

NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

For all circumstances, notify the HPD Civil
Defense Coordinator, Major Events Division.
For specific types of situations, also notify
the agencies listed below. The Communications
Division maintains the current list of telephone numbers.

A. For emergency situations involving hazardous
waste, chemical spills, and other hazardous situations,
notify the Office of Hazard Evaluation and Emergency
Response (HEER), Department of Health.

B. For oil and other petroleum spills into
waters, notify the U.S. Coast Guard.

C. For all other types of water pollution,
notify the Clean Water Branch, Department of Health.

D. For nonemergency dumping of solid
waste (household waste, appliances, construction debris, etc.):

1. On city and county property, notify the Department of Environmental Services.

2. Elsewhere, notify the Solid and Hazardous
Waste Branch, Department of Health.

E. For criminal investigations, prepare
a police report and submit it to the Department of the Attorney General.