Editorials
Thursday, November 7, 1996
Property crime is
huge problem in Hawaii
VIOLENT crime deserves the attention it receives, but property crime is a much greater problem in Hawaii than is generally realized. The third annual survey of residents conducted by the state attorney general's office supports earlier reports indicating that the chances of being ripped off in Hawaii are greater than in all but a few other states.
The Crime and Justice in Hawaii: 1996 Hawaii Household Survey Report stated that 43 percent of the 1,754 respondents were the victims of property crime last year, compared with 35 percent in 1993. That is the third-highest per-capita state crime rate in the nation. However, 9.6 percent reported being victims of violent crime. That is down from previous years, and it gave Hawaii a ranking of 42nd among the states. Any amount of violent crime is too much, but the rate in Hawaii is lower than in most states.
The number of actual complaints filed with police reflect the survey's findings; property crimes last year were at their highest level since 1980, and the overall crime rate was fourth worst in the country. Property crimes in Honolulu rose 10 percent last year from 1994, and motor vehicle thefts jumped 30 percent.
Thieves and burglars may be encouraged by the knowledge they are unlikely to face stiff prison sentences if caught and prosecuted. The state's shortage of prison space provides assurance that perpetrators of violent crime get priority.
Governor Cayetano plans to ask the Legislature for $10 million to build prison facilities for about 700 inmates. That and other efforts to relieve prison overcrowding are needed to deal seriously with Hawaii's crime problem.
The Clinton cabinet
PRESIDENTS often shake up their cabinets at the start of a second term, and it's no surprise that Bill Clinton is planning some changes. And there will be major ones. Both Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Defense Secretary William Perry, the mainstays of the president's national security team, are leaving. So are Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor, a Clinton stalwart on trade issues, and Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary, who became a political liability after she was strongly criticized for her lavish junkets.
The second Clinton term may see more attention to foreign and security affairs, with Congress again in Republican hands and unlikely to accept many domestic proposals. Much will depend on the president's choices to fill these key positions in foreign affairs and defense.
Danger of air bags
AFTER years of campaigning to force the auto manufacturers to put air bags in their cars, safety advocates are now warning of their dangers. The Big Three automakers, responding to a worried public, said they will send letters to the owners of 22 million cars with passenger-side air bags in the United States, warning that the devices can kill and injure children.
"The good news is that air bags work and air bags save lives," said Andrew H. Card, president of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association. But, he added, "We also know air bags can cause deaths." That wasn't in the original sales pitch. These deaths, caused by a device touted for enhancing safety, could have been prevented. The safety experts didn't do their job.
Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited Partnership
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor