HPP Robbery

[nortonh]

Please be aware of a break in on 12th Ave in HPP. This occured in broad daylight.
What can we do to prevent this?
We had 2 people here last week scoping out all homes trying to get work building walls. Please be aware!!!

[Hotzcatz]

On a community level, start a Community Watch program, it worked for Hawaiian Acres. On a personal level, make your house less of a target by doing things such as fencing, getting a dog, chatting with any neighbors who stay home during the day and asking them to watch for strange cars. If any strange cars go by, write down the license plate numbers and a description of the car along with the time it went past.

[Carey]

HPP does have a Neighborhood Watch, contact the Hui or Amhed
(The neighborhood watch group usually hands out flyers once a month on Saturday mornings)

[radioguy]

It would be very easy to turn HPP into a gated community. Or to hire a security patrol.

My house in HPP was robbed of a new washer, dryer and bed during the day! Of course the police did nothing at all.

I think armed guards following vehicles that are not on a master list of owners vehicles is a good idea.

Also, controlling access, and recording the licence plates of all cars entering HPP at main guard gates would drop the crime to near zero. Also, take your digital camera or video camcorder with you as you go on a walk, and photograph or video anything that strikes you as out of place.

Let people know they are under surveilance. Place a sign outside your house stating you are armed and will defend your property. Place video cameras around your house and video the street in front of your house for a record of all traffic on your street.

Have a video camera at the entrance of your house. Buy a cheap 2 way radio and let the suspects see you talking into a radio about them.

The local police blotter should be read over the local radio station, so everyone knows who was arrested and for what.

And of course, the last statement that will make everyone's head explode: In Montana, there is very little crime, because EVERYONE HAS A GUN.

Wild Bill Radioguy is grumpy this morning!

[JerryCarr]

I actually like some of your suggestions Radioguy, but gating the place would only keep out the non-resident thieves. I have been told by many people that a good many of the culprits live right here in the park! One lady on 16th actually got ripped off by her next door neighbor's ice-head son. (That was one of the relatively rare cases where the police actually caught somebody.) There is long-standing sentiment (backed by actual experience in many cases) that the police do not really take "petty" property crimes seriously. We have big dogs that look mean and bark at strangers who approach our home. So far no big problems.

Oh yeah, guns only work if you are there to use them, and I don't think there is an "open season" on intruders like in Texas or Georgia. You would probably be in much worse legal soup than the burglar were you to shoot one. Never-the-less, your sentiment is understandable.

Cheers,
Jerry

[Rob Tucker]

My suggestion is to bang on the doors of the Police Department, County Prosecutor and the County Council to get a sting operation going. Drop a couple loads of 2x4's in a yard or two with a homing device in them.

Then wait about 5 minutes.........



Punaweb moderator

[Carolann R]

ROFLOL, Rob! I can hear the theme to "Mission Impossible" going through my head...now that Green Harvest has subsided, maybe we can "sting" the ice heads and unsavory characters from Puna! LOL

Carrie

[Rob Tucker]

Well, today's Tribune has an article about how they intend to track elderly folks who lose their way home. They are putting wrist band transmitters on them.

This is not James Bond stuff.

I'm of the opinion that there might be 4-6 individuals who are responsible for 90% of these thefts.

And...... if word got out that there was loaded bait out there the thieves might even be smart enough to perceive a risk. They are getting away with this stuff over and over because eveybody is lazy and careless. It's like the guy in Oklahoma who lost his house to a tornado and said "I can't believe this happened to me". Duh.

[Carolann R]

To be honest, it's a great idea - I mean if they can put a little chip in Chuy for 35.00 then I think that's a small price to save the expensive building supplies that are being ripped.

Carrie

[Kelena]

A small correction: unless this larceny (taking of property from the 12th St. address) was accomplished by force or fear (occupant of the house threatened), then it was a burglary and not a robbery.

There is a relatively little crime in Montana for many reasons, but not because everyone has a gun. If you step out of the truck to burglarize a place, you will freeze your okole off. A proliferation of guns does not reduce crime or violence. It is especially ineffective if you are not on the property when your lumber is stolen.

I am thinking that HPP is likely to be gated at Kaloli Point someday (complex legally, but it seems feasible).

The larceny problem in Puna (and in Hawai'i in general) needs to be addressed. I do think it is keyed to the Ice problem, largely. The best method is a sting operation. But when the police force's motto is "Do I have to get up?", chances of that seem slim.