Honolulu Record, August 26, 1948, vol. 1 no. 4, p. 3
Kiichi Watanabe
Reports from Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles this week stated that the prison system here enjoys advantages over and above the 48 states.
In the national capital Honolulu's chief of police William Hoopai said after observing the police department there:
"One thing about our job in Honolulu is that when we are looking for someone, we know he can't get off the island, he is trapped by the ocean."
Earlier in the day Chief Hoopai's suitcase, full of clothes and valuables, was stolen from his automobile. Before he even knew about the theft, Washington police had made the arrest and recovered the stolen article—all in 10 minutes.
"You have got a mighty fine department, clean, neat and on the job," Chief Hoopai said as he left the police headquarters with his recovered suitcase.
The Washington Post which reported this story said Chief Hoopai's daughter-in-law Lorna commented, "You can say that again. All my best dresses are in that suitcase."
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In Los Angeles a recent visitor to Hawaii, Warden Clinton T. Duffy of San Quentin prison, stated that the penal system here in the islands enjoys the advantage of being surrounded by water.
"You'd have to be a mighty good swimmer to escape from there," he said.
Both Chief Hoopai and Warden Duffy speak of Hawaii as something like Alcatraz island. At least it sounds that way.
Neither Chief Hoopai nor Warden Duffy commented on the numerous escapes of prisoners here. Some prisoners have escaped time and again. Robberies and even murder have been committed by escapees before their capture.
The broad and blue Pacific leaves no room for complacency.