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Isles’ rate of
violent crime by
juveniles drops

But property crime is still higher
than the national average,
a state official says

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By Janine Tully
Star-Bulletin

Juvenile-crime arrests in Hawaii have declined significantly in the past two years, mirroring national trends that show a 36 percent drop in the arrest rate for violent juvenile crime during a six-year period.

In terms of violent crimes -- murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- Hawaii's juvenile arrest rate is 40 percent below the national average, according to the FBI's report. The state also shows a rate 23 percent lower than the national average involving drug abuse.

However, when it comes to juvenile property crime, Hawaii's rate is 13 percent higher than the national average, according to Paul Perrone, chief of research and statistics of the state Crime and Prevention and Justice Assistance Division.

"Hawaii has the highest rate of property crime in the nation, even though locally the numbers continue to decline," Perrone said. This is in part because of the large number of thefts, often committed against tourists, and more people reporting the incidents, he said.

The overall number of youth arrests dropped by 30 percent from 1993 to 1998, hitting an all-time low last year, Perrone said

Youth arrests decreased by more than 25 percent in the past two years, with the number last year falling below 3,000, compared to 4,000 in 1998, he said.

"Crime statistics typically follow national trends," Perrone said, referring to the latest FBI crime report released by the U.S. Attorney General's Office. "We've had two huge decreases over the last two years."

Perrone said arrest figures for 1999 will appear in the state's annual Uniform Crime Report, which will be published later this month. The data covers juveniles under the age of 18.

Government officials, as well as youth advocates, attribute the decline in juvenile crime nationwide to the effectiveness of preventive programs, but Perrone believes more is involved.

"Crime statistics go up and down; they are not caused by one specific factor," he said. "If we knew what causes the fluctuations, we'd have the problem solved."

The economy, family values and changes in the law play a role in statistical fluctuations, he said.

For instance, the mid-1980s saw an increase in the total number of juvenile arrests, but that was because police were focusing more on status offenses, such as curfew violations and runaways, he said.

Also, while youth violence increased in 1994 on the mainland, the trend slowed in Hawaii.

While news of declining crime rates among juveniles is encouraging, people shouldn't become complacent about it, said University of Hawaii criminologist Meda Chesney-Lind.

Chesney-Lind noted that females comprised 41 percent of the juvenile arrests, a figure that indicates the need for more preventive programs for females, she said.

As for the number of girls arrested, "we're still out of step with national patterns," she said.

Chesney-Lind also wants to see more attention paid to the gang problem, which "is still with us."