WAILUKU — A rash of slingshot vandalism has left Paia businesses boarding up broken windows.

Merchants said more than 20 windows have been smashed since December by vandals apparently using slingshots to fire ball-bearings, bolts or other small projectiles from vehicles as they drive through town. Maui police said they were trying to increase their presence in Paia, but with no witnesses to the crimes, there had been little progress in investigating the cases.

"At this point, we don't have any leads," said Victor Ramos told The Maui News.

That's left merchants frustrated as the cost of the damage adds up.

"We feel the government's not helping us, the police can't help us," said Daniel Sullivan, owner of Indigo boutique.

Sullivan said vandals fired a ball-bearing through his storefront window in December.

"I got a new window put in, and it got broken again on Christmas Eve," he said.

Sullivan was replacing the window with hurricane glass and planned to install a plexiglass cover for added protection. Neither his insurance company nor his landlord was covering the cost, which would likely total several thousand dollars, he added.

He said there have been more than 20 broken windows in the town.

Ono Gelato owner Valerie Kane said vandals hit her windows twice within a few weeks after the store opened in December.

"We've got two broken windows at the front of the store," she said. "It doesn't look good – it makes it look derelict."

She said police gave a lot of attention to the case in the first instance, but didn't seem so interested the second time around.

"They came in and made some notes and that was it," she said.

Paia merchants have met twice with police to discuss crime in the bustling North Shore surf town. Feeling the police response has failed to deter the vandalism, shopkeepers have discussed starting a volunteer patrol, hiring a private security guard or installing security cameras.

"That would be a great help," Ramos said. "We'd like to be there 24-7, but we can't."

Ramos said MPD had three undercover operations in Paia in January, netting a handful of arrests for petty crimes.

He also said he has instructed the Paia patrol officer to stay in town whenever he is not on a call. But since the officer can be called away to assist on cases in Haiku, Makawao, Pukalani or Kula, there are times the town will not be covered, he said.

He said there were records of seven separate vandalism incidents at Paia stores in December and January, although multiple windows may have been broken in a single case.

Residents and merchants have asked for a community police officer to be assigned to Paia, but MPD "can't afford to fill the positions" in the community policing program currently.

Ramos said it was no secret the police department was understaffed and has struggled to fill vacancies, but said he wouldn't use that as an excuse.

"We're just trying to do our best," he said. "We know there's a problem there. Like we do in every town, we're trying to address it as best as possible."

For more Maui news, visit www.mauinews.com.