LAHAINA, Maui — Rules governing conduct for Halloween participants in Lahaina remain the same this year, but the celebration will be under more scrutiny than ever as questions linger about whether the one-night event should be allowed to continue in the historic town.

The Maui Police Department will be increasing jail space and the number of officers patrolling Front Street, and Na Kupuna O Maui members and supporters will be monitoring the expected crowd of 30,000 and taking photos to document bad behavior.

Aunty Patty Nishiyama said the group's members won't be in costume, but will be wearing purple kihei (capes) that honor Queen Lili'uokalani.

Na Kupuna O Maui and others say that risque costumes and rowdiness are not appropriate in the National Historic District, which includes royal burial grounds and remnants of Lahaina's role as a whaling port, missionary outpost and plantation community

In response to the concerns, the county Cultural Resources Commission has indicated it may not grant a permit to the LahainaTown Action Committee for next year's organized, public festivities along Front Street and at Banyan Tree Park.

Supporters of the organized event, who include the Maui Police Department, say allowing the committee to coordinate the street festival guarantees some measure of crowd control. The group also provides portable toilets, trash pick-up and opportunities for nonprofits to make money from food sales.

The LahainaTown Action Committee has been conducting the organized Halloween activities since 1990, although the observance began in the 1970s as an informal celebration by town merchants and residents. The festivities include a keiki costume parade, entertainment, food and activity booths, and a costume contest for adults.

Committee executive director Rina Sampson said the crowds will come regardless of whether there is an organized event, since the area's numerous bars and restaurants put on their own Halloween parties and costume contests. Police have said that Front Street still would have to be closed for safety reasons.

"You can't take the restaurants out of Lahaina town. You can hold this event anywhere else and people are still going to come to Front Street," she said. "They have their favorite establishments that they like to go to and they're going to come no matter what.''

In recent years the organization started promoting Halloween in Lahaina as a wholesome community affair, dropping its former slogan that characterized the event as "the Mardi Gras of the Pacific."

The image makeover includes the 2007 theme of "An Ocean of Fun!" with a T-shirt design featuring kid-friendly characters such as "Count Sharkula" and "Skeleton Fish." The shirts, which are coveted by collectors, are being offered for the first time in children's sizes.

After mediation with several Native Hawaiian community leaders, the committee agreed to shorten the keiki costume parade to end at Banyan Tree Park instead of Kamehameha Iki Park, a culturally sensitive area, and to remove portable toilets from the Lahaina Public Library lawn, another sensitive site.

Sampson said laws prohibiting alcohol consumption in public areas, underage drinking and nudity have long been in effect in Lahaina, not just during Halloween. But the increased attention to crowd conduct due to the controversy has put participants on notice to be on their best behavior, she said.

"If people pay attention to the rules there shouldn't be any problems," Sampson said. "We want to put the 'Mardi Gras of the Pacific' out of their minds and let them know they are not able to roam freely with alcohol."

Maui police will deploy 100 officers Wednesday night in Lahaina town, up from the usual 80, said Capt. Charles Hirata. That does not include the drunken driving task force and other staffing. In addition to the cellblock at the Lahaina Police Station, police have arranged to use cells at the nearby state courthouse, he said.

"We are definitely going to make our presence known," he said.

An average of 10 to 20 Halloween arrests are made each year in Lahaina, most for alcohol-related offenses.

Hirata said the hefty police presence is largely in response to growing reports of underage drinking and is not related to the debate over whether the celebration should continue in Lahaina.

Nishiyama said that even if the event goes off without a hitch, Na Kupuna O Maui will insist that future public Halloween celebrations — except for the children's parade — be relocated.

"The keiki parade is wonderful. But the 'Mardi Gras' is inappropriate for our historic town. It needs to be moved," she said.

One of 24 conditions of the 2007 permit approval is that the LahainaTown Action Committee return to the Cultural Resources Commission on Dec. 6 to review this year's celebration and begin discussing what should happen next year.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.