Editorial: Home invasion alert

With more people spending more time at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, police say they’re seeing more cases of home invasions in which intruders are unexpectedly confronting household occupants.

Among the recent cases: A 76-year-old man and 62-year-old woman were confronted by two men who broke into their home on East Manoa Road at about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. One of the suspects assaulted them and fled with their belongings. And last week, a 91-year-old woman was robbed at knifepoint in her Ewa Beach home. Hours after the 1 p.m. home invasion, police said, two people used her credit card at Walmart in Kunia.

The trend is worrisome, especially with several cases involving kupuna. It’s encouraging that the Honolulu Police Commission broached the subject at a recent meeting — prompted, in part, by an early December home invasion in Waialae Iki, in which two armed suspects tied up the homeowners, a man and a woman in their 70s, and looted the home.

Given the bump in brazen break-ins during daylight hours, the Honolulu Police Department should provide the commission with regular updates about investigations and prevention efforts.

Meanwhile, HPD offers the following residential security tips.

>> Know your neighbors and their vehicles, and report suspicious persons or vehicles immediately. Also, consider starting a Neighborhood Security Watch group. Sponsored by HPD, the program includes hundreds of “watches” across Oahu, ranging in size from a few dozen to hundreds of households.

>> Secure windows and doors. The most common way burglars enter Hawaii homes is by removing individual louvers on window frames. Louvers can be glued to a frame with silicon glue or epoxy cement. Also, sliding-glass doors and windows can often be lifted or pried off tracks. Various types of locking devices are available, or a bar can be placed on tracking to prevent opening. In addition, doors leading to your residence from the garage area should be treated as exterior doors.

>> Alarms, lighting and peepholes. Alarm systems and perimeter/outdoor lighting with motion detectors are recommended as deterrents. When not at home, leave some interior lights on. If there’s no window near the front door, have a peephole installed.

>> Inventory property. Document make, model and serial numbers of tools, electronics and appliances. Also, obtain full descriptions of jewelry, and take photos of items. Engrave objects with sets of numbers or initials.