Posted on: Friday, February 4, 2005
Overall crime rate for Hawai'i continues to fall
| • | Watch out: Identity-theft ring sells fake cards, forges checks |
| • | Chart: Reported crime drop |
Advertiser Staff Writer
Overall crime continues to drop in Hawai'i, but burglaries, thefts and stolen cars still cost residents more than $30 million in the first six months of last year, according to the attorney general's semiannual uniform Crime Report released yesterday.
Honolulu police have created a Web site to help victims reclaim stolen property. Approximately 500 items, including jewelry, electronics and musical instruments, have been marked and photographed and may be seen online at www.honolulupd.org. The photos will be available for public viewing through Feb. 28. To reclaim an item, you must have filed a police report, including a list of items stolen, before Dec. 13, 2004. The miscellaneous items were recovered last fall by an HPD burglary task force. Yesterday's report, which covers Jan. 1 to June 30, 2004, provides an early reading about crime trends in the state, and becomes part of the FBI's national crime report.
Despite a statewide drop in property crimes, Albert Fukushima, chairman of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board, said he still sees a lot of thefts in his community.
Fukushima has been burglarized twice and he wants to see more of a police presence to deter criminals. "The crime may be going down but some families may be thinking, 'Why am I the victim,' " he said yesterday.
Statewide, property crime — burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft — decreased 10.1 percent in the first half of 2004 compared with the same period in 2003.
Violent crimes — murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault — decreased by 12.6 percent. The state reported 16 murders.
All four of Hawai'i's counties reported declines in overall crime.
"I hope this portends of a turning of the tide," said Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle.
By county, losses from property crimes amounted to $20,826,415 in Honolulu; $2,098,421 on the Big Island; $6,459,479 on Maui; and $1,115,544 on Kaua'i.
The attorney general's report also detailed drug arrests.
Statewide drug arrests were down 3.2 percent during the first half of 2004. Arrests for non-
narcotics — which include other drugs such as LSD, Ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine, or ice — rose 18.8 percent.
Paul Perrone, the chief statistician at the attorney general's office, said the overwhelming majority of "non-narcotics" arrests are for ice.
Non-narcotics arrests also includes arrests for drug possession, sale and manufacturing, and the arrests of both adults and juveniles.
The spike in arrests during the first half of 2004 occurred on the Neighbor Islands. The Big Island, Maui and Kaua'i all saw increases in non-narcotics arrests, enough to overcome Honolulu's 13.1 percent decrease.
Despite the statewide drop in property crimes, it remains a problem in the Honolulu Police Department's District 3, which includes Pearl City, Waikele, Waipahu and 'Aiea.
Pearl City police say H-1 Freeway, which runs through the heart of the district, creates a throughfare that allows thieves to quickly enter or exit neighborhoods.
Police said burglary, theft, car break-ins and car theft are the most common crimes in the district.
"When you have a growing residential area and newer communities, a lot of those hard-working people aren't going to be home during the day (to look after their property)," said Capt. Randy Macadangdang, head of HPD's District 3 patrol division.
Sheila Fukuda, who lives in Manana, said she has never been the victim of a crime and believes that Pearl City is a great place to live.
"In our area, it seems to be OK," she said.
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Of the total amount of property taken, authorities recovered only a little more than $5 million, according to the report.
GETTING BACK STOLEN ITEMS
