Police get tougher on auto thieves

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

With the auto theft rate increasing in Hawai'i last year, Honolulu police are stepping up enforcement of laws in stolen car cases from Waipahu to Halawa Valley, an area on O'ahu that police say had the highest number of car thefts in 2002.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crime in the United States 2002 report released Monday, there were 796 auto thefts reported per 100,000 residents in Hawai'i in 2002, a 44.9 increase from the 2001 rate of 549.5.

"The first step before you commit any other crime is to steal a vehicle," said Capt. Carlton Nishimura, the Honolulu Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division's officer in charge of auto theft. "Whether to get you there or get away, you want to be in someone else's vehicle."

Nishimura said the dense, residential population of the area has more vehicles, creating the opportunity for theft. The area, which covers Pearl City and 'Aiea, is District 3, which had 1,841 reported auto thefts last year, the highest of the eight O'ahu districts.

With cars being swiped at alarming rates, police have ratcheted up their charging guidelines for the district. Anyone caught operating a stolen car in the district is automatically charged, rather than released pending investigation. Police say this expedites the process of prosecuting suspects.

Nishimura said during the legislative session next year, the department plans to ask for more stringent standards in terms of charging and prosecuting car thieves. The department wants to be able to charge passengers in a stolen vehicle.

Currently, only the driver can be arrested and charged.

"We're trying to have some repercussions for being in a stolen car," he said.

Nishimura said that Hondas are the most popular cars to steal, with Toyotas finishing a close second. He said the high quality of their import parts makes them attractive to criminals seeking to strip the car and sell the parts.

"They are easier to get into than American-made cars; the metal they are using is a little softer than what American cars use," he said.

While residents keep a wary eye on their garages, some Hawai'i businesses are profiting, albeit reluctantly, from the surge in auto theft.

Kent Izuka, owner of Security & Sound System, the largest state dealer of Viper car alarms, said his South Beretania Street shop consistently finishes in the top 100 of Viper's 6,000 nationwide retailers.

"It seems that it has always been on the rise. From our sales records it shows we're doing more sales on alarms than before," Izuka said. "We look back at this month a year ago, we're always on the increase. That's good for business, but not always good for consumers."

Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.