Posted on: Friday, December 7, 2001

Burglaries prompt Ainakoa Neighborhood Watch

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

In the past two years there have been four burglaries in the homes around Judi Moore's house on 'Ainakoa Avenue.

This ridge community of about 1,000 homes is the kind of area where people disappear into their garages when they come home and don't come out again until the next day, said Moore. Some do come out to walk their dogs, but many don't know their neighbors and now, many don't know about the burglaries in their neighborhood, she said.

That's why the residents of 'Ainakoa want to organize a Neighborhood Watch program.

"We've had trouble off and on up here," said Moore. "Last year we had a new Honda stolen out of the garage. And then two weeks ago, my neighbor got burglarized."

Though statistics show no significant increase in burglaries here, one resident said the need to do something has been especially pointed lately. There were two burglaries in the immediate neighborhood before Thanksgiving, said Kim Holzman, a resident of nearby Halekoa Drive since September.

"I think it's important for Halekoa residents to know who their neighbors are," Holzman said. "We're trying to organize just the block, the immediate neighborhood. You can't expect the police to cover the whole ridge."

Holzman and Moore plan to go door to door and organize a meeting in the next two weeks.

In the area above them, Wai'alae Nui, residents have had a Neighborhood Watch for several years, said Gail Skillman, association vice president. While the group is not as active as it once was, whenever a burglary is reported to the association, members post a banner on the clubhouse fence to alert neighbors, Skillman said.

In the area between Wai-

'alae Nui and neighboring Kalani Valley, 35 burglaries were reported four years ago and about the same number so far this year, according to police statistics.

Honolulu police officer Pam Gribbin, who oversees Neighborhood Watch in East Honolulu, said the program empowers residents to watch out for each other.

"When you organize, you say as a community that you'll take care of each other," Gribbin said.

When residents know who lives in the neighborhood and who is supposed to be there, which cars and trucks delivering or working on the yards belong, then when something isn't right they can call police, Capt. John Lum said.

East Honolulu has the second-highest number of Neighborhood Watch programs on O'ahu, according to police statistics. The Windward district has the most, with 149 watch programs involving 6,601 households. East Honolulu has 133 watch programs from Makapu'u to Manoa, involving 4,538 households, Gribbin told residents at a recent Wai'alae-Kahala Neighborhood Board meeting.

That came as little consolation to Moore.

Whenever she walks her dog or goes out for a walk now, she feels as if she must lock her door.

"It's a terrible thing to come to," she said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.