Fact Check: Did the Hawaii police shut down a donation center for victims of the wildfires? Viral tweet debunked

A social media post is doing the rounds on the internet that shows Hawaii police talking to some people at the donation center. The social media user @MattWallace888 shared the video with a caption that read,

"THIS IS PURE EVIL!!! I Have Obtained New Footage From Maui Fire Ground Zero That Shows Hawaii Police Officer SHUTTING DOWN A CITIZEN DONATION CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF THE FIRES."

However, the video that is circulating on the internet with the viral claim of Hawaii police shutting down the donation center for the victims of the wildfire is not true. X, formerly known as Twitter, also added a readers context to it that mentioned that the officer in the video is announcing the suspension of a placard system.

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Hawaii police did not shut down a donation center for the victims of the Maui wildfire

The news about Hawaii police shutting down the donation center for the victims of the Maui wildfire turned out to be a viral fake claim. In the viral tweet, social media user @MattWallace888 claimed that Hawaii police are doing everything to shut down the citizen donation center for victims of the fire.

The tweet further read,

"The Officer Says (Not Knowing He is Being Recorded) THAT THE “POWERS THAT BE” ARE RESPONSIBLE. Maui is a small series of islands with a population of only about 165,000 people. Of those individuals, most of them are very wealthy, and a lot of them are celebrities."

X added context to the viral tweet which read,

"As seen in the video text, the Officer is announcing a suspension of a placard system that would've allow limited access to the disaster area to qualified individuals. It was suspended due to allegations unqualified individuals were trying obtain placards."

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Maui Police Department also shared an update about the suspension

of placard system

Maui Police Department shared an update about the suspension of the placard system on August 15, 2023. In the update, it was shared,

"Due to the overwhelming demand from non-essential individuals and non-Maui residents who have flooded the distribution areas we are suspending the placard program untill further notice. We will continue with essential workers and West Maui residents as before."

The Maui Police Department added that the access placards will be the only way to enter West Maui. They further shared that placards will be issued for the following:

• West Maui Residents
• West Maui Resort Personnel
• First Responder Personnel
• Medical Personnel
• Utility Personnel
• County of Maui Personnel
• Supply Transport Personnel
• Volunteer Personnel

Details about getting the placard were also mentioned, which said that the residents must show proof of residence through a driver's license or state identification card with a West Maui address.