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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 24, 2001

'Dumb luck' may prove costly for crop thieves

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — A state law that has been on the books for two years but that only recently came to light could help in the prosecution of thieves who steal crops from island farmers.

Big Island Deputy Prosecutor Mitchell Roth said prosecutors discovered the misdemeanor law "by dumb luck" because it was listed under agricultural regulations and not in the criminal code.

It requires written proof of ownership for anyone who sells, transports or possesses agricultural commodities weighing more than 200 pounds or with a value of at least $100.

The penalty is a fine of up to $1,000.

"We find these people selling these products sometimes at farmers markets, sometimes at supermarkets," Roth said.

To address a growing problem, two community police officers were assigned to investigate agricultural thefts on the Big Island.

One of those officers, Stan Haanio, recently told members of the Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Association that a "Farm Watch" program similar to neighborhood crime watch efforts has reduced the number of thefts of Kona coffee from 65 cases in 1996 to 10 last year.

The program encourages communication between police and the community, and the reporting of suspicious activity, he said.

Another strategy that worked to thwart coffee thieves, Haanio said, was to stop paying cash for newly picked coffee beans. That leaves coffee thieves with nowhere to market their stolen goods.