Motorcycles targeted in thefts
About 10 bikes have been hauled off from residential garages and other areas since November
Honolulu police want the public to watch out for possible motorcycle thefts in progress or would-be thieves after a string of such thefts in the Pearlridge and Windward Oahu areas.
Auto Theft Detail Lt. James Strickland said the problem is generally in residential or rural areas but has been happening in other areas, as well.
The typical theft occurs when a weekend biker leaves his motorcycle parked unattended in his residential garage all week while driving to work in a car, he said. The would-be thieves scout the area for a few days, then pounce when it appears safe, usually using a truck or van to haul the motorcycle away.
Thieves are bold enough to drive into a home's driveway and load up the vehicle, he said.
CrimeStoppers Coordinator Kim Buffett said there have been about 10 cases since November and that the thefts can happen anywhere. Police do not know if these crimes are related, she said.
Strickland said the easiest target is the unsecured motorcycle parked on the street.
In one case a blue van pulled in front of a motorcycle parked on a residential street in the Pearlridge-Pearl City area, and when it pulled away, the motorcycle had disappeared with it, Strickland said.
On a Mapunapuna street, thieves pulled up in a pickup truck, lifted the motorcycle onto the bed of the truck and drove off.
Buffett said it takes only two or three men to carry a motorcycle.
Generally, people do not haul their motorcycles in the back of their pickup trucks, as they do with dirt bikes, which are not street-legal, Strickland said. So if a motorcycle is seen in the back of a truck or van, call police, and officers can check it out.
Police recommend securing the motorcycle to a fixed object using a good lock or chains. Alarms and locks for the rims are also available.
Police believe the motorcycles are generally being stolen for parts, so it is of little concern if bikes receive some damage during the theft.
One motorcycle enthusiast, who asked not to be named, said he questions how owners of custom-built bikes are getting perfect original parts. "When a bike falls, it's going to fall on the right side or the left side," he said. "One side's damaged and one side's not." Buying stolen parts is "feeding the fire," he said.
But not all motorcycles stolen are being stripped for parts, and some thieves are getting caught.
On Saturday morning, witnesses saw a man and woman riding a 2005 Yamaha motorcycle that they recognized as stolen.
The riders parked the bike in the garage of a house at 1732 Gulick Ave. in Kalihi and went inside. When they came out, police arrested the 37-year-old man, who was seen operating the bike, on suspicion of vehicle theft and defaced serial number.
Anyone who has information concerning a motorcycle theft, sees one in progress or spots a suspicious truck or van in the neighborhood should call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.