Signs warning of thefts proposed for tourist sites
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
The Halona Blowhole and other scenic lookouts in East Honolulu have long been favorite stops for tourists — and the crooks who break into rental cars to steal purses, camcorders and other valuables.
Car break-ins during the past three months at tourist spots in the East Honolulu police district: Source: Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu police now want to erect warning signs as an alternative to the longstanding practice of assigning one officer to park at the various tourist spots as a deterrent to thieves.
Car break-ins in East Honolulu
In the past, tourism officials have wanted to downplay the threat of theft and discouraged warning signs, said police Lt. Alan Anami. But with only four to five officers available to patrol Hawai'i Kai and the lookout areas, the department cannot afford to keep manning those areas, he said.
Bob Taylor, president of Maui Divers, said he feels strongly that tourists need to be warned of the possibility of thefts.
"If a tourist isn't warned and are broken into and their valuables are stolen, the tourist will be a lot madder." Taylor said. "Unfortunately, it is what it is and we have to warn the tourists.
"I hate to see signs up all over the Islands, but signs should be in places where problems exist."
George and Susan Frack, visitors from Pennsylvania, were at the Blowhole lookout yesterday, doing some whale-watching. A sign warning them of car thefts wouldn't send them fleeing back to their car, they said, but it would serve as a good reminder to lock up valuables.
"One or two signs would be OK," George Frack said. "I try to park the car as near to us as possible. I don't want to invite trouble."
Police want to place signs depicting a crowbar-wielding person near a car as a warning to tourists. A similar type of sign was erected many years ago by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources at the Pali Lookout, one of the most popular visitor sites on O'ahu.
The Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board will meet 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Haha'ione Elementary School cafeteria and discuss the proposal to place theft warning signs at East Honolulu lookouts.
Law enforcement authorities do not have statistics on which destinations are hit most often, but police and tourist industry officials have said crimes against tourists and other nonresidents account for a significant share of property crimes. About 6.5 million tourists visit the Islands each year.
Community meeting
In the past three months, there were a total of nine thefts from vehicles at the Blowhole, Lana'i Lookout and Moloka'i lookout, said police Lt. Gilbert Kilantang.
Diamond Head Road, lookouts and crater had the most, with 16 thefts from vehicles, Kilantang said.
The number of incidents of theft from tourist vehicles statewide increased from 526 in 2001 to 768 in 2002, according to the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i, which assists tourists who run into trouble. The pace picked up in the first six months of 2003 (the latest periods for which data are available) with 451 rental car break-ins.
There are few clear statistics to document the reason for the rise in crimes against tourists, but officials say many thefts and assaults may be related to the use of crystal methamphetamine.
Police are seeking the community's support in their effort to erect the signs, Anami said. They will come before the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board on Feb. 24 to discuss their plans.
Before police stationed officers at the lookouts, the numbers of crimes against tourists each month were in double digits, Anami said. Officers rotate throughout the day from Makapu'u to Hanauma Bay, he said.
"A lot of what we do out there depends on the number of calls for service," Anami said. "When we don't have the officers there at the lookouts, then the signs would make tourists more aware of the possibilities. We want to be proactive."
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
