HILO — There’s a downward trend in auto theft cases on the Big Island, according to police statistics.
In 2014, there were 612 reports of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle — which in legal terms isn’t a theft, as there’s no auto theft law in Hawaii, but does involve a suspect in control of a stolen vehicle without the owner’s permission. In 2015, that number dropped to 475, a decrease of more than 22 percent. And in the first quarter of this year, there were 94 reports, which will translate to fewer than 400 cases if the numbers hold steady for the remainder of 2016.
Police Lt. Greg Esteban of the Criminal Investigation Section pointed to a couple of factors to account for the decrease.
“People are more vigilant about locking up their vehicles, parking them in well-lit places, arming them with alarms and steering wheel locks,” Esteban said. “Another thing I’ve also noticed that’s helped is social media. Social media has been helpful to investigators as a tool to search for leads on stolen property, stolen vehicles.”
There are at least two Facebook pages largely devoted to spreading the word on criminal activity, “East Side Big Island Watch” and “Big Island Thieves.” Esteban said those pages, as well as individuals posting on their own social media pages, have also led to the recovery of stolen vehicles and other pilfered property.
”What’s great about social media is that it’s almost instantaneous,” he said. “When a person reports their vehicle stolen and they let their friends know on social media, we’ve got all those additional eyes out there for the stolen vehicle. Often we get a call to dispatch, officers are sent and the vehicle or property is recovered. If we get lucky, somebody is taken into custody.”
Arrest and charge rates by police in unauthorized control cases vary, but have been between 10 and 20 percent since 2014, with 67 arrests and charges in 2014, 89 arrests and charges in 2015 and nine in the first quarter of 2016. Those numbers don’t tell the entire story, though, as relatively similar numbers of investigations are routed to prosecutors for further investigation, with some cases resulting in charges later lodged by prosecutors.
Unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Toyota pickup trucks continue to be a popular target, Esteban said, sometimes for the truck itself, but also for parts.
“In one particular instance, Toyota pickup trucks were targeted, and more specifically, their tailgates,” he said. “The problem was was the ease of removing them from the trucks and their resale value made it attractive to the thieves. These would be the newer models. The newer models often have the backup cameras. These would be a product choice if there was somebody who wanted a tailgate with a rear-view camera.”
Asked about frequently stolen passenger cars, Esteban said, “The one that comes to mind is the older Hondas. A lot of times, the components, the body parts are interchangeable.”
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s 2014 “Hot Wheels” list, the latest available, the 2000 Honda Civic is the most stolen make, model and year of car statewide, with the 1994 Honda Accord coming in second. The 2004 Toyota Tacoma pickup ranks eighth on the insurance industry’s crime statistics website. Although NCIB’s numbers aren’t broken down by county, the Big Island has a higher proportion of pickup trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles than Oahu due to the largely rural nature of the island and substandard subdivision roads.
Esteban confirmed the older Toyota trucks, as well as the newer ones, are also desirable targets for thieves.
“What’s happened with the newer trucks, not only Toyota’s but also other manufacturers, is that they started putting identification numbers on individual components on the vehicle so it would make it easier to identify if they were stolen,” he said. “The earlier models also didn’t have the transponder (chip) keys. The newer cars now are a little tougher to steal because of the electronics involved with the ignition and the identification numbers on the components. The earlier models are much easier to steal.”
Esteban said there are measures car owners should take to give themselves the best chance of discouraging would-be auto thieves.
“Park your car in a well-lit area,” he said. “If you’ve got a locking steering wheel or bar to lock your steering wheel, use it. Turn your wheels all the way to one direction to make it tougher to tow the vehicle away. Alarm systems have been a good means to protect vehicles from being stole. All of these security measures will make it tougher for the thieves to a car. If they have the opportunity and ample time, they’ll still find a way to take it, but your chances of it being stolen or identified as a target will decrease if you take these measures.
“Not only is the security of your vehicle important, so is the documentation of your vehicle. Take photos of your vehicle, all sides, the interior (and) your wheels, and keep them for your records. We emphasize to residents to do that for jewelry and other valuable items. They should do it for their vehicles, too.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
