HPD Recalibrates Gang Tracking on Oahu Amid Federal Prosecutions

The Honolulu Police Department is currently recalibrating how it identifies and tracks criminal gangs on Oahu, a shift that comes as federal prosecutors aggressively target organized groups operating out of public housing complexes.

While the department remains tight-lipped on specific numbers, the recent federal indictment of a 24-year-old alleged gang leader highlights a persistent tension between law enforcement efforts and the social realities of Hawaii’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

Federal authorities recently moved against Penitila Faamoe, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 15 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, Faamoe is accused of leading the “Brave Gang,” a group allegedly operating out of the Kamehameha IV housing complex in Kalihi.

The arrest, executed by the FBI on October 20, occurred while Faamoe was already out on bond for two separate state criminal cases. Prosecutors claim the Brave Gang uses "ghost guns"—untraceable, often homemade firearms—to rob illegal gambling operations, making criminal activity in residential areas more volatile and high-stakes.

This is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, a major investigation dismantled a drug-trafficking organization known as H-Mob. That operation, which involved the importation of methamphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis, was noted for its use of juvenile runners and even a prison guard to facilitate its trade.

When federal and local agents executed search warrants on May 6, they recovered at least 20 pounds of methamphetamine and a cache of firearms, including evidence found within the Puuwai Momi housing complex in Aiea.

Despite these high-profile takedowns, the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) has faced questions regarding its current tracking metrics. In a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HPD explained that it utilizes a centralized documentation process, entering validated intelligence into the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) gang database.

However, the department noted that internal reorganizations have shifted some responsibilities, and it currently lacks an updated count of active gangs on Oahu. Because federal intelligence regulations require the removal of information after five years without new, articulable evidence, gang classifications are in a constant state of flux.

The FBI maintains that it sees no evidence of a large national or international gang presence in the islands. Instead, federal officials describe the threat as predominantly localized, tied to specific neighborhoods or prison-based groups. While the FBI works with local partners through initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods, they have deferred to the HPD for real-time insights into the individuals driving violent crime.

For the families living in these communities, the presence of gangs is less about database entries and more about the lack of basic infrastructure. Deborah L.K. Spencer-Chun, president and CEO of the nonprofit Adult Friends for Youth (AFY), argues that the cycles of violence are often exacerbated by a lack of positive outlets for young people.

“The public housing to them is something that is completely overlooked,” said Lisa Tamashiro, AFY’s director of operations and special programs. “The children, the youth are all growing up there and there are no positive activities. Kids growing up in public housing don’t have a community center, they don’t have a gym.”

“You gotta believe that they can be better. Some of them lose hope. Some of them tell us straight up, ‘That’s the norm, Deb.’ That shouldn’t be normal. Shootings shouldn’t be normal.” — Deborah L.K. Spencer-Chun, President and CEO of Adult Friends for Youth.

AFY has been working since 1986 to provide “redirection therapy,” attempting to pull at-risk youth away from gang affiliation by pairing rivals together and providing mentorship through high school graduation. Their work often involves bridging divides between groups that would otherwise be in conflict, creating spaces where teenagers can find common ground rather than common enemies.

Yet, as Spencer-Chun points out, even tangible projects—such as a proposed community center for the Kamehameha IV housing complex—have stalled, leaving a vacuum that local gangs are all too eager to fill.

The economic and social stakes of this stalemate are high. When community centers remain unbuilt and youth remain idle, the burden of managing the resulting social fallout shifts almost exclusively to law enforcement. This reactive approach, while necessary for immediate public safety, rarely addresses the root causes of why a young person might choose a gang for protection, income, or a sense of belonging.

As the HPD continues to refine its intelligence-led policing strategies, the question remains whether the community can build a parallel infrastructure of opportunity. Until then, the cycle of indictments and arrests continues to be the primary, and often only, intervention for the youth growing up in the shadow of these complexes.

The challenge for Hawaii is not just in identifying who is in a gang, but in deciding what the community owes to those who have not yet joined one.