11-19-2008, 06:51 AM
By the power invested in me (point, click, type, post) I am starting a new thread on the important topic raised by Beachboy: what to do about larceny and burglary in Puna.
This WAS the gun-free version of that thread (no more -- comments below took care of that). Irrespective of your feelings toward guns, I think we can agree that my having a gun will not protect my property when I am not at home. Most burglaries occur when the resident is not at home. This thread is NOT about burglaries that occur when the resident is present or when the resident comes home to discover a burglary in progress.
The problems I see are as follows: 1) Hawaii has a culture of larceny going back to Captain Cook who was killed as he investigated the theft of boat. 2) Puna is very large and the police, even if they were so inclined, are inadequate in numbers to patrol and prevent burglaries. 3) When there is a burglary or incident of larceny, police are diffident about investigating it and are slow to do so. In fact, they may never do so. Catching a thief or burglar in the act is unusual. 4) There is a perception that the police department regards larceny and burglary as unimportant. 5) The police department is not proactive in informing residents about a rash of burglaries and where they are occuring. Its website does not include a crime map, for example.
Solutions are hard to come by. The best solution is a well-paid police force that has its priorities in order, and that works well with, and is not diffident to or dismissive of, the community.
All I can think of for now is this:
1) A resolution asking the Police Department to make larceny and burglary its number one priority, except for investigations of crimes of violence.
2) A request that the Police Department post an up-to-date crime map (volunteer to assist in setting it up).
Your thoughts (other than "get a gun") are welcome. For the record, I support the entire bill of rights, including the 2nd Amendment. But gun talk distracts from solving the problem before us.
This WAS the gun-free version of that thread (no more -- comments below took care of that). Irrespective of your feelings toward guns, I think we can agree that my having a gun will not protect my property when I am not at home. Most burglaries occur when the resident is not at home. This thread is NOT about burglaries that occur when the resident is present or when the resident comes home to discover a burglary in progress.
The problems I see are as follows: 1) Hawaii has a culture of larceny going back to Captain Cook who was killed as he investigated the theft of boat. 2) Puna is very large and the police, even if they were so inclined, are inadequate in numbers to patrol and prevent burglaries. 3) When there is a burglary or incident of larceny, police are diffident about investigating it and are slow to do so. In fact, they may never do so. Catching a thief or burglar in the act is unusual. 4) There is a perception that the police department regards larceny and burglary as unimportant. 5) The police department is not proactive in informing residents about a rash of burglaries and where they are occuring. Its website does not include a crime map, for example.
Solutions are hard to come by. The best solution is a well-paid police force that has its priorities in order, and that works well with, and is not diffident to or dismissive of, the community.
All I can think of for now is this:
1) A resolution asking the Police Department to make larceny and burglary its number one priority, except for investigations of crimes of violence.
2) A request that the Police Department post an up-to-date crime map (volunteer to assist in setting it up).
Your thoughts (other than "get a gun") are welcome. For the record, I support the entire bill of rights, including the 2nd Amendment. But gun talk distracts from solving the problem before us.
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