Auto thefts
zoom on Oahu

The number of thefts so far this
year has hit nearly 7,600, already
topping the 1995 record

---

By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Auto thefts on Oahu so far this year have already surpassed the worst year on record, according to Honolulu Police Department statistics.

The highest number of annual auto thefts had been 7,440 in 1995, but by the end of last month, the number for 2002 had reached 7,597 and police say the total will continue climbing .

"We anticipate that the number may be over 8,000," said Maj. Darryl Perry. "Hopefully we won't surpass it, but I believe it may."

Taryn Sato found the news easy to believe, since she and two of her relatives had their vehicles stolen within two months, from different parts of the island. Sato said her 1996 Honda Civic was stolen Oct. 13 while she attended services at Grace Bible Church in Pearl City.

"My dad was the first; they stole his from our house in Pacific Palisades, and then my brother two weeks later from his apartment in McCully," Sato said. "They found my car the next day, but they took everything ... stereo, rims, tires.

"They're still fixing it. It's going to cost around $6,000 to $7,000 in repairs."

To combat the problem, Perry said, police have been investigating chop shops -- where stolen cars are sold, altered or chopped for parts -- and "questionable" auto repair shops that may be involved in auto theft.

Plans include putting together a complex auto theft-mapping system for the entire island.

"The map will show where the cars are being stolen, where they're being dropped off and where the cars are being spotted, especially if it's while another crime is in progress," he said.

"Usually, we see suspects using stolen vehicles to transport themselves to an area where they'll start breaking into other cars, then use the car to carry the goods from break-ins," Perry said.

Police statistics show that while auto thefts are happening all over the island, some spots are busier.

The worst area is police Beat 551, bordered by Moanalua Freeway and Nimitz Highway, including Salt Lake Boulevard. In 2001, there were 137 autos stolen in the area. By August 2002, the area had surpassed that total, with 144 auto thefts.

Other trouble spots include Beat 358 in Pearl City, between Waimano Home Road and Kaahumanu Street, and Beat 164 in Makiki, at Ward Avenue and the Lunalilo Freeway.

Perry said police have been more active in charging auto-theft suspects, especially those considered to be "big players."

Two of them, Warren White and Ryan You, were arrested and charged last month. White is being held in lieu of $120,000 bail while You is free after posting $50,000 bail, Perry said

Detectives estimate they have charged more than 50 auto-theft suspects last month. Perry said their efforts helped lower thefts to 640 in November from 846 in October.

"That's (more than) a 20 percent decrease," Perry said. "We've still got a lot of work to do ... but hopefully people will be seeing auto theft decreasing at an increasing rate."

However, some feel the auto-theft problem will not go away until lawmakers help ease the burden on police.

Leeward Auto Recycling owner and operator Mike Cunningham said Hawaii needs laws like those in California, where a person cannot register a car unless they provide a receipt for any used parts used to rebuild it. That's because people don't usually have titles to stolen vehicles, Cunningham said.

"I'd say at least one to two people a month call me and ask to buy the shell of a car and the VIN (vehicle identification number), and I tell them no way because I know what they're trying to do," said Cunningham, who's been in business in Hawaii for the past 12 years. "They basically want a shell and the title to a car so they can rebuild it using stolen parts."

He added: "There's an inner-trafficking of parts out there ... and to be honest with you, I think police are overwhelmed."