Oahu violent crime at 3-year high, Honolulu Police Department report finds

Homicides, robberies, assaults and rape cases on Oahu are at three-year highs, according to 2022 Honolulu Police Department counts through April, elevating concern among police and federal law enforcement officials using data and crime prevention tactics to contend with threats to public safety.

Thirteen homicides — eight committed with a firearm — occurred during the first four months of this year, compared with six in that time frame in 2021. There were eight in 2020 and three in 2019.

In eight of the cases, the victim and suspect knew each other. Honolulu police have made arrests in 11 cases, and none of the homicides are related or linked, according to police. At least one homicide has occurred in each of the eight HPD patrol districts.

Addressing the Honolulu Police Commission on Thursday, interim Chief Rade Vanic said unlike comparable jurisdictions, homicides in Honolulu do not typically follow a trend. “While 13, that is not a number we should ignore, I wouldn’t say that because we had 13 we are going to have record number of homicides the rest of the year,” Vanic said.

With relaxation of pandemic restrictions, crimes of opportunity are increasing. In response, police are using crime mapping, criminal intelligence gathered by officers and other tools to direct patrol, plainclothes and undercover operations to potential hot spots or groups of known repeat offenders.

“We do acknowledge that crime is up from last year,” Vanic said. However, he added, “The narrative that crime is like out of control or on the rise, I really disagree with that. As a department we are always concerned. We are doing everything that we can to keep Honolulu safe.”

Taking issue with that assessment, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers leadership told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that officers are observing and responding to more brazen crime, involving more weapons and attacks on officers.

“Criminals are more willing to risk attacking an officer to avoid arrest. So, not only is crime rising significantly, the severity is rising. … Downplaying the severity and frequency of violence on the island is dangerously misleading and ignores the data,” said Robert Cavaco, an HPD lieutenant and SHOPO president.

“Comparing today’s crime rates to three years ago, prior to the pandemic, paints a scary picture,” Cavaco said, adding that while the department is “talking about specialized enforcement and targeted patrol,” what’s not pointed out is “how police administration has had to pull officers from all other functions to try and quell the crime as it flares up.”

Cavaco said with more than 190 officers eligible to retire, “we need action now to retain our officers and recruit new officers. The delay and thumb-twiddling are making us less safe every day.”

Regarding robbery cases spanning the four-month period: HPD tallied 325 cases this year, compared with 284 in 2021, 221 in 2020 and 306 in 2019. There were 410 assaults through April this year, compared with 347 in 2021, 317 in 2020 and 382 in 2019. Police have made 90 rape arrests this year, compared with 64 in 2021, 88 in 2020 and 93 in 2019.

Robberies are up from the past two years, during which pandemic restrictions created less of an opportunity for people to become victims, Vanic told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

“When compared to pre-pandemic conditions, the number of incidents are comparable. One of the things that the department is doing is increasing police visibility, including posting patrol officers at locations known for criminal activity. Also, investigative units are using crime analysis to identify individuals and groups involved in criminal activity,” Vanic said.

The coordinated investigative work involving HPD’s Criminal Investigation Division and district Crime Reduction Units has resulted in some notable robbery arrests.

Two suspects were arrested in connection with separate serial bank robberies earlier this year, and Vanic said investigators think that one suspect is responsible for three bank robberies while the other is responsible for four bank robberies and three additional robberies. Several members of a group involved in robberies and property crimes were identified, arrested and charged in multiple cases, he said.

Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu Division, told the Star-Advertiser the bureau is helping state and county law enforcement partners with investigations of felons in possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, robbery and others violent offenses.

“We continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and leverage our Violent Crimes and Safe Streets Task Forces to target the significant increase in violent crime,” said Merrill. “the FBI leverages the intelligence gleaned from these violent crime investigations to exploit violent gang vulnerabilities and disrupt transnational criminal enterprises. These efforts include strategic planning, training, and funding as well as reliance on partnerships with local, state, federal, and international partners.”

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm told the Star-Advertiser, “I am very concerned about the rise in homicides, robberies, and assaults in the first four months of this year, particularly those cases that involve guns. That being said, it will be helpful to see a full year’s worth of data to draw solid conclusions about crime levels in Honolulu.”

When a suspect is arrested in connection with a violent crime and poses an apparent threat to the community, prosecutors work with HPD to quickly impose a charge and keep the suspect in custody.

“This includes murders, home burglaries, sex crimes, and felony assaults. Our Screening and Intake Division, along with our specialty teams that focus on elder abuse, felony domestic violence, sex assault, career criminals, and white collar crime, work day and night with HPD to investigate and charge violent crimes to protect the public. We also have a special team of seasoned prosecutors who work around the clock to investigate and charge murder cases,” said Alm.

Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters told the Star-Advertiser that the latest HPD data is “disheartening.” Waters is staging a virtual town hall focused on “Safety in Waikiki,” 6 p.m. May 26.

“Crime is a complex problem and we need to come together as a community to address the safety of our island home. This is why the Council has allocated millions in funding to housing for victims of domestic violence, for transitional housing for the mentally ill, for HPD patrol staffing, and for juvenile deterrence programs,” said Waters.

“The safety of our community is at stake and we need to work at all levels — schools, communities, families, government, and beyond — to address this growing problem together.”

Council member Augie Tulba, vice chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, told the Star- Advertiser that difficulty recruiting and filling some 300 vacancies at HPD means fewer timely responses and potentially dangerous situations for officers on duty. Resources are stretched thin, he said, because officers are responding to calls that shouldn’t be their responsibility.

“The prosecutor’s office, the police, the courts, and the lawmakers must get on the same page. We can’t have criminals getting off for crimes they committed simply because the court system is backed up or they didn’t get charged in time. When there are no consequences for bad behavior, that only encourages more bad behavior, more lawlessness — and law-abiding citizens start to believe there is no justice,” said Tulba.

Council member Calvin Say, also a member of the Public Safety Committee, told the Star-Advertiser that he views an increasing homeless population and rising costs of living in Hawaii as major factors in why violent crime is on the rise.

“There seems to be an overall sense of paranoia of individuals who are unstable due to substance abuse and/or mental illness. My office receives daily reports and complaints from constituents related to these concerns,” said Say.

“Our Honolulu Police Department is doing its best, and Hawaii is lucky that our community for the most part is very supportive. However, their job is physically and mentally tough, and often thankless. I think the new chief will have a big task in raising morale, gaining public trust for our officers without negatively affecting the processes of the officers in the field, and more importantly recruiting and retaining officers for the department.”