A report of shifting crime levels and complaints about officers on Mauna Kea were talked about Friday during the Hawaii County Police Commission meeting in Waimea. ADVERTISING A report of shifting crime levels and complaints about officers on Mauna Kea
A report of shifting crime levels and complaints about officers on Mauna Kea were talked about Friday during the Hawaii County Police Commission meeting in Waimea.
Police Chief Harry Kubojiri and his staff give a report to the commission each month.
Officers responded to 826 serious crimes across the island, according to the chief’s report.
The leeward side of the island showed fewer crimes, a total of 274 to date, than windward, with 552 crimes.
Violent crime increased in three of the five categories. There were two robberies in July, up from one. Attempted murder moved from four cases from one. All sexual assaults were at eight incidents, up from two. Assaults dropped from 48 last year to 27 this year. Murders remained flat at zero.
The three property crimes listed in the report remained largely flat for the area. There were 31 burglaries reported, the same as last year. There were 173 thefts, an uptick from the 162 last year. Auto theft also climbed from 25 to 29 incidents.
Area II police, those that cover the windward side, investigated 31 cases.
On average they had a clearance rate of 83.7 percent. Clearance is when a case is closed by a conviction or exceptional means, such as the death of a suspect. The extremes are a 1,000 percent clearance rate of 20 clearances and two new cases. The lowest was burglary, where there was one clearance and six new cases.
The one registered allegation against officers was about their failure to give names and badge numbers at Mauna Kea. A group of about 50 officers from Hawaii Police Department and the Department of Natural Resources were sent to the area July 24. When they arrived, protesters asked for the officers’ names and badge numbers. Several protesters claim that some officers did not give that information when asked.
The commission can refer items to the police chief for investigation. They can also choose to not recommend the item advance to the chief.
The meeting point rotates from Kona, Waimea and Hilo on a monthly basis.
The next meeting is 9 a.m. Sept. 11 in the Hawaii County Building in Hilo.
Email Graham Milldrum at gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com.
