A friendly message on a child’s phone. An unfamiliar charge on a grandparent’s account. A neighbor who witnesses a crime and wonders whether to speak up.
For Scott Bell, protecting Hawaiʻi’s families begins with paying attention to these moments and staying involved in one another’s lives.
“We need to know who our neighbors are and have this mutual sense of responsibility for each other,” he said.
Appearing on Augie’s Community Connection with Councilmember Augie Tulba, Bell, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and Division Chief of the Special Prosecution Division, outlined priorities that combine accountability for dangerous offenders with prevention, community partnerships and support for victims.
His division handles cases involving career criminals, sex offenders, white collar crime and crimes against kūpuna.
“As a career prosecutor, we’re looking to be voices for the victims and to protect this community,” Bell said.
Protecting Kūpuna and Keiki
Physical violence, financial exploitation and emotional abuse threaten older residents. Sometimes the danger comes from strangers. Other times, it comes from someone within the family.
Sophisticated scammers also exploit loneliness and trust to gain access to money and personal information.
Families can help by maintaining regular contact and staying aware of their loved ones’ spending, financial records and important documents. Those everyday conversations create opportunities to recognize troubling changes.
For children, danger can arrive through an unsolicited message that appears flattering or harmless.
Bell described a recurring pattern: Someone contacts a child through social media, conceals their true identity and builds trust. The conversation progresses to requests for a home address, school or phone number. Sometimes an in-person meeting follows.
Parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles should know whom children communicate with and what those conversations involve. A trusting relationship can help children feel comfortable sharing an encounter that worries or confuses them.
“Hopefully we can discourage that kind of behavior by having a loving, trusting relationship,” Bell said.
Building safer neighborhoods takes more than enforcement. It requires trust, prevention and a shared willingness to look out for one another. Photo: Civil Beat
Holding Dangerous Offenders Accountable
The Career Criminal division focuses on prosecuting repeat offenders whose crimes threaten community safety.
Bell described a recent prosecution involving a defendant who led a crime spree that included a residential burglary, stolen vehicles and armed robberies. After returning guilty verdicts, jurors heard the defendant’s criminal history during a separate penalty phase and recommended a life sentence.
The Career Criminal Unit uses enhanced sentencing measures in qualifying cases to seek stronger consequences for persistent offenders.
Community cooperation remains essential. A resident’s report can prompt a police response, help investigators establish what happened and eventually support a prosecution.
“See something, say something, be willing to cooperate when the police ask,” Bell said.
Residents who provide statements may later become witnesses. Bell acknowledged that the process can take considerable time and thanked those willing to remain involved.
New Technology, Long-Awaited Answers
Technology gives investigators powerful tools to pursue justice, sometimes decades after a crime.
Bell shared the story of Nancy Anderson, a 19-year-old who arrived from Colorado in late 1971 seeking a new experience in Hawaiʻi. She shared a Waikīkī apartment with an 18-year-old roommate from California.
On January 7, 1972, her roommate discovered Anderson’s body. Someone had stabbed her multiple times.
Detectives pursued suspects and investigative leads, but the trail grew cold. Years later, investigators revisited preserved evidence and identified DNA, yet still lacked the technology needed to identify a suspect.
Behind every investigation are individuals and families seeking answers, reminding us why persistence, cooperation and advances in technology matter. Photo: Pexels / Altamart
About 50 years after Anderson’s death, investigators turned to genetic genealogy, combining DNA science with family history research. Their work also involved searching a 1971 Honolulu telephone directory.
After identifying a suspect, investigators obtained his DNA and matched it to blood left at the scene, Bell explained.
“This is an amazing example of how technology can solve crimes that, you know, before couldn’t have been solved,” he said.
Today, home surveillance cameras also help establish identity, challenge alibis and show jurors what happened. Homeowners can help authenticate footage by explaining their familiarity with the system, camera locations, recording functions and timestamps.
Preventing Crime and Moving Cases Forward
Under Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, community initiatives emphasize education, mentoring and diversion alongside enforcement. Safe and Sound Westside’s youth advisory council brings students into conversations about neighborhood safety.
“It’s much cheaper and much more beneficial to teach, to coach, to mentor, and to send them on that right path,” Bell said.
Bell also reported funding for 10 additional positions to help address delayed cases and strengthen prosecutions. Retaining experienced trial attorneys remains a major challenge.
For Bell, the work carries a clear purpose, from helping families recognize danger to standing beside victims seeking justice.
“We are committed to community safety and being voices for the victims.”
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