Sometimes it takes courage to make a difference. That's just what happened in a Kalihi neighborhood. Residents living near an elementary school there — fed up with drug dealers near the campus — chose to get involved.

Their complaints to police sparked a seven-month undercover investigation that resulted in the arrest of five men and two 17-year-olds on drug charges. Two of the five men arrested were also wanted in connection with a robbery. And because four of the five men were allegedly selling crystal methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, they now face more severe penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison.

It's easy not to get involved. Fear of retaliation too often manages to silence those who choose to look the other way. But as Honolulu Police Department Maj. Kurt Kendro notes, these neighbors made the difference in Kalihi. "Without the community's involvement, we would never be able to solve the drug problem in our community," the officer said.

Today, the kids at Kalihi Uka Elementary School are that much safer.

And that should serve as a reminder that we all can — and should — step up and do what it takes to make our community a safer and better place to live.