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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, January 25, 2002

Serious crime up during 1st half of 2001

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Serious crime in Hawai'i increased 4.8 percent during the first six months last year compared to the same period in 2000, according to statistics from the state attorney general.

A crime expert yesterday expected Hawai'i's crime numbers to rise for the second consecutive year when annual 2001 numbers are released as early as summer.

In 2000, the crime rate increased 7.5 percent after a record low in 1999.

Serious crimes are murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny/theft.

"I'm almost certain of a crime rate increase in 2001," said Paul Perrone, chief of research and statistics at the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division of the attorney general's office. "But it will be a much smaller increase than we saw in 2000. It would be around 4 or 5 percent."

In Hawai'i, violent crimes such as murder and aggravated assault decreased 6.3 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, while forcible rape and robbery increased 9.9 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. For property crime, all three categories increased with burglary (4.1 percent), motor vehicle theft (5.9 percent) and larceny-theft (5.2 percent.)

The City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i County and Maui County each posted increases in serious crimes, while Kaua'i County posted the only decrease in serious crimes.

"We're a small town and people look out for each other; we have excellent officers," said Kaua'i Police Chief George Freitas, who added Kaua'i's final 2001 numbers will show about a 9 percent decrease in serious crime.