HONOLULU -- Just three years ago, inspectors used to make unannounced inspections on restaurants about once a year. However, that situation has worsened.

There are only 12 Department of Health inspectors on Oahu to keep an eye on almost 6,000 restaurants. That is about half as many inspectors as the state had 20 years ago.

When KITV asked people on the street how often inspections like this should happen to assure restaurant and food safety, here is what they said.

"I'd probably say twice a month, but at least once a month, yeah," Roger Nonnweiler said.

Because of attrition and budget cuts, health inspectors are only able to visit Oahu restaurants once about every two years.

"Once every two years? Ooh, that's gross," Mos Karen Malaia said.

If someone complains about dirty conditions or bad food at a restaurant, the Health Department sends an inspector as quickly as possible, usually within a couple of days. However, because of low staffing levels, their regular, unannounced inspections of restaurants have decreased to just one every two years. It is a frustrating situation.

"You see them improving and moving along and then you see them again, like a year and a half to two years and then they've fallen back again. So then, you have to start all over again," inspector Raena Nishimura said.

Find out what kinds of violations are most common and what inspectors have found in Dirty Dining Part 1.

Those same 12 inspectors on Oahu also inspect non-food establishments, like swimming pools and tattoo parlors.

"It's getting to the point where it may not be able to respond in the manner in which it should be doing," state Sanitation Program Manager Rex Mitsunaga said.

Mitsunaga manages the state Department of Health Sanitation Branch and oversees restaurant inspections.

"People really don't see a need until something bad happens," Mitsunaga said.

"Are you worried about the day that something bad and very serious does happen, because you don't have a lot of inspectors out there?" KITV reporter Keoki Kerr asked.

"It's always been a worry of mine, but it's something that's out of my control," Mitsunaga said.

"The food safety laws are not being enforced for lack of funding," Rep. Marcus Oshiro said.

This past legislative session, House Finance Committee Chairman Oshiro introduced a bill that would have raised Department of Health restaurant permit fees to fund more inspections and create an Internet-based inspection and reporting process. The proposal would have boosted the average restaurant permit fee from just $52 to roughly $300 a year, which would have doubled the number of inspectors and paid for a new computerized reporting system.

"We thought that it was a modest increase per the amount of food you serve, the type of food you serve, the number of dishes you serve," Oshiro said.

Many mainland cities and counties have easy-to-use Web-based restaurant inspection systems like one from Sacramento, Calif., that the public can access 24 hours a day online. Type in a restaurant name and you get the most recent, detailed report.

In Hawaii, it is a much slower and cumbersome process. people have to go to the health department in person to request the inspection paperwork.

Restaurant inspections are still written by hand in the islands. If you want a report, you have to pay 50 cents per page to get them copied.

"Let's get into the 21st century, where consumers and restaurant-goers can go and research before going out and having a meal," Oshiro said.

During KITV's last investigation of restaurant inspections three years ago, health officials told us it would take three to five years to computerize their records, if they got $300,000 in funding. That money was not appropriated, so no progress has been made.

"Does it frustrate you standing there and explaining this to me, and we've done this before, too?" Kerr asked.

"I remember explaining it to you back, what three years ago, and we're here three years later, just some of the names have been changed, but the file cabinet and the files are the same," Mitsunaga said.

The Legislature approved the hike in Health Department restaurant permit fees from an average $52 to $300 earlier this year, in spite of complaints from some restaurants who said they could not afford the higher fee.

"That is too much. You know, too high for us. We are a small business," Louise's Deli owner Kim Ching said.

"That is kind of steep, $300, but yeah, maybe if they bring it down a little bit, that would be good," Downtown Coffee owner Charles Nelson said.

The governor vetoed the proposal, saying it would take money from the general fund "in the midst of a serious state budget crisis."

The state collects about $700,000 a year from the restaurant permit fee, and spends only $300,000 of that on inspector and restaurant employee training.

Most of the money, $400,000, goes back to the general fund to be spent on other things.

The Legislature overrode a number of the governor's vetoes this year, but did not try to override the proposal for higher restaurant fees and more inspectors.

Oshiro said he will reintroduce the proposal at the next legislative session in January.

NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS
Year	Inspections/ Restaurants	Restaurants Available	Inspectors
2009	1,385	9,876	27
2008	1,772	7,800	28.75
2007	2,026	7,456	29

How Do You File A Complaint?

If you have a complaint about health or sanitation conditions at a restaurant or any establishment that serves food, call the state Health Department Sanitation Branch at 586-8000, during the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can make an anonymous complaint or leave your name and phone number so inspectors can call you back to gather more information. Inspectors will keep your identity confidential.

An inspector will make an unannounced inspection of the establishment as soon as possible to investigate your complaint. The inspector will call you back, if you wish, to give you the results of the investigation once it is completed.