Property Crimes - Thomas Hickcox, Assistant Police Chief

WHAT IS COMMUNITY POLICING?

"Community policing is a philosophy that promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and disorder through problem-solving and police-community partnerships."

WHO KNOWS THE DEFINITION OF "PROPERTY" ACCORDING TO THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES?

"Property means any money, personal property, real property, thing in action, evidence of debt or contract, or article of value of any kind."

"Property of another means property which any person, other than the defendant, has possession of or any other interest in, even though that possession or interest is unlawful; however, a security interest is not an interest in property, even if title is in the secured party pursuant to the security agreement."

WHO KNOWS THE DEFINITION OF THEFT ACCORDING TO THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES?

"A person commits theft if the person obtains or exerts unauthorized control over property. A person obtains, or exerts control over the property of another with intent to deprive the other of the property."

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF BURGLARY ACCORDING TO THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES?

"A person commits the offense of burglary if the person intentionally enters or remains unlawfully in a building, with intent to commit therein a crime against a person or against property rights."

WITH A SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY OF US HERE HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF A BURGLARY OR THEFT?

Statistics show that as of December 30, 2002, the Department of the Attorney General's Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report shows that the number of index crimes reported in Hawaii during the first six months of 2002 increased 13.3% from the number reported during the same period in 2001. The number of violent index crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) increased 5.4%, while property index crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) rose 13.7%.

Decreasing among the violent crimes reported in the first half of 2002 were murders (-20%) and forcible rapes (-5.5%). Aggravated assaults and robberies increased 8.7% and 5.5%, respectively.

The number of reported offenses increased for all three property crime categories during the first half of 2002: motor vehicle thefts by 43.1%, burglaries by 15.0%, and larceny-thefts by 9.1%.

The number of index crimes reported for the first six months of 2002 increased 16.8% in the city and county of Honolulu (7.5% violent crimes, 17.3% property crimes), 3.6% in Hawaii County (-21.8% violent crimes, 4.7% property crimes) and 39.1% in Kauai County (71.7% Violent crimes, 37.6% property crimes). Maui County reported across-the-board decreases, with total index crimes down 5.0%, violent crimes down 6.1%, and property crimes down 5.0%.

Statewide juvenile arrests increased 1.4% and adult arrests rose 5.0% in the first half of 2002. Juvenile arrests were up 50.4% for violent crimes and down 4.8% for property crimes. Adult arrests for violent crimes and property crimes increased 16.8% and 0.7%, respectively. The proportion of index crimes cleared by arrest or exceptional means (16.7%) increased by 4.2 percentage points.

The value of property stolen in Hawaii during the first half of 2001 totaled $30.2 million, up 11.7% from the same period in 2000.

Property crime statistics for the first four months of this year for Hawaii County show that property crime is up by 11.5%, 2864 (2002) vs. 3292 (2003).

Burglary - 334 (2002) vs. 556 (2003) up 60%
Theft- 2380 (2002) vs. 2588 (2003) up 9%
Auto theft - 150 (2002) vs. 148 (2003) down 1%

For more details relative to your specific neighborhood, contact your community policing officer. Our community policing officers have been tasked with compiling crime statistics for their areas of assignment.

There are a number of things that we can do to curtail or at least slow this rising trend: The implementation of Neighborhood Watches and organized neighborhood patrols, the starting up of business watches along with organized business patrols, and the installation of dead bolts window and door slide locks. Locking your residence or business whenever you leave. Never leave valuables in an unattended vehicle. Write down suspicious vehicle license plate numbers. The list goes on and on. Again, contact your Community Policing Officer if you wish to be educated on preventative measures.

IS THERE A NEXUS BETWEEN PROPERTY CRIME AND DRUG USE?

The answer is yes. People steal to support their drug habit. What are we doing about it? The Mayor has declared war on "Ice". Your police department is committed towards making every effort in bringing these individuals to justice.

However, government cannot effectively address the aforementioned problems alone. We don't have all the answers. We need your help. We need the help of our community. We may not always agree with each other. At times, we may stumble and even fall. But, we must then remember to right ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and move forward. We must work together.

The problems that we face as a society are many. "Ice", property crimes, overcrowded jails, the lack of sufficient early intervention counseling programs for our youth, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, dealing with our elderly, barking dogs, just to mention a few.

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES?

By doing exactly what we are doning today. Working together towards solutions.

Thank you for allowing me to share my manao (my thoughts) with you and aloha.