11-12-2007, 06:27 AM
I'm with everyone who's sick and tired of the theft and applaud you all for working to make it end.
I'd just like to say that in my experience the police follow-up is not better than you describe in other parts of East Hawai`i. There is little or no follow-up after the report gets filed.
I had two experiences with it
first was in Papa`ikou ... my neighbors who were building had tools stolen. In this case, the police were confident it was the scurvy crew the non-contractor had hired that did the deed.
So ... were they arrested and charged, even though they had been working there for two months and their names were well known. No. And for sure, in this case, that was not a case of letting someone's cousin off the hook. The police thought they were scum.
Instead, the police response to me, as the person next door was -- yes, these guys have had time to scope you out. Protect your stuff, lock it up, make sure someone is home ... yada yada yada. Do it yourself security.
Second time, in Hilo, our cars got hit during the night, and we were told there was a known gang of youth with this MO in the neighborhood. The officer reluctantly dusted for prints. Soon after, a neighbor house got hit in broad daylight. The police came over to see if we saw anyone break in. We didn't. That was the end of that.
It's almost like there's a disconnect in the mindset of the officers from the idea we have of investigating and solving crimes. Maybe I watch too much TV!
Here, they take the report, as if that is the job. They ask a few questions. They have a pretty good idea who did it. They seem to file that idea until such time they can catch the guys in the act. As if that' very likely, with so few of them on patrol.
I don't think they even contact people when they do recover stolen property. From time to time they do bust people with stolen stuff, but does anyone know what happens to it? (I don't)
More recently, I talked to an officer up my way, near Onomea, who was working on the car break-in problem (at least one a day at the public trailhead). He told me there was lots of theft in the area. Told me to make friends with my neighbors, lock up, be concerned with people creeping in at night.
Did he care? Yes, this officer cared. (he appeared by his accent to be a transplant, so maybe he's not inured yet)
But at the same time I could see he didn't feel like the police are able to stop this kind of crime.
To give them credit, given that they can't just bust into suspects' houses without probable cause, they end up in a situation where they know from talking to people who the bad apples are, but that's as far as they get.
In sum, it's not just HPP. Even Hilo, the town that supposedly gets all the services, there's still no solution.
But I wish you all the best of luck getting on top of your situation. The HPP crime does sound like the number of occurrences are off the scale.
I'd just like to say that in my experience the police follow-up is not better than you describe in other parts of East Hawai`i. There is little or no follow-up after the report gets filed.
I had two experiences with it
first was in Papa`ikou ... my neighbors who were building had tools stolen. In this case, the police were confident it was the scurvy crew the non-contractor had hired that did the deed.
So ... were they arrested and charged, even though they had been working there for two months and their names were well known. No. And for sure, in this case, that was not a case of letting someone's cousin off the hook. The police thought they were scum.
Instead, the police response to me, as the person next door was -- yes, these guys have had time to scope you out. Protect your stuff, lock it up, make sure someone is home ... yada yada yada. Do it yourself security.
Second time, in Hilo, our cars got hit during the night, and we were told there was a known gang of youth with this MO in the neighborhood. The officer reluctantly dusted for prints. Soon after, a neighbor house got hit in broad daylight. The police came over to see if we saw anyone break in. We didn't. That was the end of that.
It's almost like there's a disconnect in the mindset of the officers from the idea we have of investigating and solving crimes. Maybe I watch too much TV!
Here, they take the report, as if that is the job. They ask a few questions. They have a pretty good idea who did it. They seem to file that idea until such time they can catch the guys in the act. As if that' very likely, with so few of them on patrol.
I don't think they even contact people when they do recover stolen property. From time to time they do bust people with stolen stuff, but does anyone know what happens to it? (I don't)
More recently, I talked to an officer up my way, near Onomea, who was working on the car break-in problem (at least one a day at the public trailhead). He told me there was lots of theft in the area. Told me to make friends with my neighbors, lock up, be concerned with people creeping in at night.
Did he care? Yes, this officer cared. (he appeared by his accent to be a transplant, so maybe he's not inured yet)
But at the same time I could see he didn't feel like the police are able to stop this kind of crime.
To give them credit, given that they can't just bust into suspects' houses without probable cause, they end up in a situation where they know from talking to people who the bad apples are, but that's as far as they get.
In sum, it's not just HPP. Even Hilo, the town that supposedly gets all the services, there's still no solution.
But I wish you all the best of luck getting on top of your situation. The HPP crime does sound like the number of occurrences are off the scale.