Police recently stepped up their presence in the vicinity of 'Ilima Intermediate and Campbell High schools, having responded to 24 calls regarding fights or potential fights near the campuses since Feb. 1.

That's up from a typical week when police would get about two calls, said West O'ahu police Maj. Mike Moses.

"As far as we know, it's for varying reasons," Moses said. "There are no links or ties to any particular groups that we can see, or any ethnic group being pitted against another. It's just silly, regular school stuff, whatever it may be, fighting over a girl or what have you."

Moses also noted that police typically see more fights as schools get closer to a break. Spring break for the Campbell-area schools begins March 17. "I guess kids are trying to settle their differences."

The fights appear to involve primarily intermediate school students but sometimes high school students and even adults, according to parents, police and teachers. The fights draw crowds of up to 300 students watching, yelling and egging on participants, according to witnesses.

"They'll happen like every day, almost," said Peter Jackson, youth development director for the Hale Pono Boys & Girls Club near the two adjoining 'Ewa Beach campuses.

Jackson said he believes students interested in ultimate fighting or mixed martial arts feel the need to challenge each other in a public forum.

QUIETER AT CAMPBELL

Campbell Principal Gail Awakuni said there has been no increase in the number of fights on her campus. Awakuni said she and her staff view safety as their main priority, and a state-of-the-art surveillance monitoring system with some 200 digital cameras is being installed.

'Ilima Principal Jon Kitabayashi was at a conference on the Mainland and could not be reached for comment yesterday, school officials said.

Moses said all 24 calls recorded involved instances off-campus and happened after school.

Yesterday, Moses said, police were called to the 'Ilima campus by school officials to talk to two students who had made it known they would be fighting later in the day, Moses said. The boys' parents were then called to take them home.

"These two boys ... said they were going to fight at the L&L restaurant" across the street, Moses said. "That's how the word goes out. When the kids start hearing there's going to be a fight, as soon as school breaks, they all start gravitating to wherever they hear the fight may occur."

When asked why they're fighting, students typically just say they wanted to fight, Moses said.

Jackson said there have been fights daily in the 'Ilima parking lot next to the Boys & Girls Club. He and the clubhouse staff deal with those they can manage and call police and 'Ilima security, Jackson said.

"I've been trying to get them away from this area but then they just go somewhere like the parks or wherever," Jackson said.

The parking lot and the clubhouse are surrounded by 'Ilima, Campbell and Pohakea Elementary.

"It's primarily the intermediate school (students) but high school kids have been getting involved," he said. "I guess the 'Ilima kids try to call out the high school kids."

GOOD RESPONSE

Police have been doing a good job responding despite their limited personnel, Jackson said.

Moses urged parents and students to immediately call police if they see a fight or hear one is about to occur. "Use your good judgment on whether you should intervene or not," he said.

Moses said police began stepping up patrols of the area in recent weeks, noting that there are plainclothes officers in the schools, as well as nearby businesses, parks and parking lots.

When police respond, the crowd usually disperses, leaving neither victims, suspects or even witnesses, Moses said.

"Without victims, we have no case initiated," he said.

Aida Carboni, a mother with three children who attend either Campbell or 'Ilima and works part time at 'Ilima, said she has noticed more police around campus since last week, and that she has not seen any fights off-campus since then.

Police need to have a stronger presence after school throughout the school year, she said.

"That isn't always successful," Moses said. "They see police officers in one location and they gravitate toward another area. It's equal to herding cats."

Moses also spoke in defense of the security and staff of both campuses.

"A lot of this stuff that is happening is off campus," he said. "They're very limited to what they can do."

Campbell Principal Awakuni said she has a limited security staff and actually buys extra positions with her discretionary budget to help out. But with a 33-acre campus and 2,550 students, "We can't be everywhere, every time, and we have to depend on the students to monitor their own behavior and to make the right choices."

SAFETY MEASURES

Awakuni said Campbell, which has been in the news several times in the past few years for school violence, has not experienced an increase in fights at her campus recently. And most of the major fights come from outside parties, including former students, students from other schools and adults.

She has been lobbying for 8-foot fences for the perimeter of the school to keep outside parties off school grounds. About 75 percent of the campus is surrounded now by 4-foot fencing, she said. "We take safety very seriously," she said. "It is our No. 1 priority."

The 200-camera digital surveillance system should be installed by the end of the school year, she said.

Officials with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and school Superintendent Pat Hamamoto also have been made aware of the situation at the schools.

Hamamoto, in a letter to Sen. Willie Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu), said she was thankful that Carboni had approached community leaders about the situation: "We will follow up and take care of this."

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.