U.S. Department of Justice’s Weed and Seed initiative / Maybe you’ve seen them. After nightfall, they take to the streets of Chinatown in slightly too-big yellow and orange T-shirts to slowly circle the neighborhood. Some wield plastic flashlights. Some have laminated ID badges dangling on Crayola-colored cords around their necks. They make up the Downtown Chinatown Citizen Patrol, and they’ve been at it for more than a decade–a relatively short period of time considering the group’s members are comprised of mostly 70-somethings and that Chinatown itself has had a dark reputation for being sleazy and crime-ridden for more than a century. It’s that gritty reputation, along with a concern for safety, that got the group started.

Current members say that about 15 years ago, scores of people took to the streets for the weekly neighborhood watch. Now, there are about a dozen of them on any given Tuesday–and they’re out every Tuesday at 8 p.m. unless it’s raining, a holiday or an election day. Their route, which changes slightly each week, takes about an hour and their sunny T-shirts come from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Weed and Seed initiative–a nationwide strategy that teams community groups with local law enforcement.

Chinatown falls into one of four federal Weed and Seed districts in the state, a designation that means drug dealers who are arrested in the area go straight to jail and can face up to 10 years in jail. The police officer who walks with this and other Chinatown patrols is Richard Fikani. The group immediately draws him into conversation, but he’s primarily there to ensure the safety of the group, and to call for back-up if needed. But it hasn’t been needed lately because, according to both residents and the police, Chinatown turns out to be a lot safer than it’s reputed to be.

Warnings about Chinatown are common in travel guides and online web forums, but despite a smattering of highly publicized violent crimes in the past decade, much of the lingering worry reflects what was a legitimately dangerous area as recently as 20 years ago–even after former Mayor Frank Fasi took significant measures like a car ban on Hotel Street to cut down on prostitution.

Dorothy Bona said prostitutes still walk the area, but that she joined the Downtown Chinatown Citizen’s Patrol mainly because of her concern about violent crime.

“Back in the ’90s, some of my neighbors were getting mugged during the daytime,” she said. “We’re talking about old ladies getting mugged in the middle of the day. If it takes us walking around to impress upon people that we won’t take it, then I’ll do it.”

She said the group has noticeably deterred criminals and that the patrol’s efforts, the ratcheted-up police presence, new businesses in the area and other clean-up and safety pushes, have made a big difference.

“It it keeps people aware that we’re still here. Plus, it’s a social hour, it’s exercise and you’re fighting crime. It works out great because we have no lives and the girls have no customers.”

Dolores Mollring, an outspoken and energetic woman who has opinions on everything from crime control to moped parking laws organizes and leads the patrol each week.

“These days, crime pretty much has to hit people in the toe for them to join us,” said Mollring. “Other than that, they’ll just bitch and complain.”

But there is less to complain about these days. Members of the group all say they feel safer in Chinatown than they once did, and it’s not just a product of taking control of the neighborhood. Crime figures reflect a downturn in violence over the past several years.

Last year there was one murder in District 1, the area that contains Chinatown, whereas the year before there were five. It may be part of a greater trend. Violent crimes across Honolulu dropped 5 percent between 2006 and 2007–that’s compared to a 1.4 percent drop nationwide. Still, law enforcement acknowledges there is a lot to be done. So far this year, the latest police data through September lists 285 sexual offenses, 664 reports of assault and more than 2,300 reports of theft in the district that contains Chinatown. It’s important to note, though, Chinatown’s traditional borders are Ala Moana, Vineyard, River and Nu’uanu streets, whereas District 1 entails a much greater downtown region–from the shoreline by Ala Moana along Atkinson Drive up to Punahou Street and around to Liliha Street.

But River Street, the ‘Ewa border of Chinatown, remains one of the sketchiest areas. Just last week residents who live around Nu’uanu Stream, where River Street and Pauahi meet, stood outside with signs about the importance of staying drug free. Police recently lobbed off the tops of parking meters on that block, that parked cars can no longer hide hand-to-hand drug exchanges from officers walking that beat. Drug enforcement agents say crystal meth and cocaine remain two of the biggest drug problems.

The youngest members of the mostly female watchgroup are both men; State Rep. Karl Rhoads is a regular, as is Scott Whittington, a young marine.

“I had the same stereotypes about Chinatown that everyone else did,” he said. “But really, the police having to ask a guy to move along is about as bad as it gets.”

Still, there are exceptions, and drugs are still prevalent. Ben Adolph, 77, has been walking with the group since the mid-90s.

“Crime is happening 24 hours a day,” he said. “But it varies. I used to have a video camera that I carried with me and one of the prostitutes came up and threw it down on the ground. You have to be careful.”

At 80, Tomie Higa is among the oldest members of the group.

“There has been a big change,” Higa said. “We used to see a lot of prostitutes around. Not that many now.”

Higa is also the only member who appears to know some of the people who are out and about on any given night. As she passed the divey bar Ke Kai’s on Hotel Street, she gestured to the doorway with a smile.

“I see a guy here and he knows my daughter and I always tell him, ‘Go home! What are you doing? Get out of here.’ And he always says, ‘You’re not my mommy,’” she said. “But you keep people in line just by being out here and that’s what we are trying to do.”