The disturbing armed robbery of an elderly Princeville man Friday is an exclamation point to recent burglaries reported by North Shore residents. Some residents say they fear burglars seem to know their every move. That type of case is not
The disturbing armed robbery of an elderly Princeville man Friday is an exclamation point to recent burglaries reported by North Shore residents. Some residents say they fear burglars seem to know their every move.
That type of case is not typical for the island but it does accentuate the spike of burglaries on the relatively peaceful North Side. The mostly senior residents say they feel vulnerable and targeted.
Now formed as a collective, the group is asking the Kaua‘i Police Department to prevent similar crimes after six burglaries occurred on in the Princeville area between Dec. 6 and Jan. 3. KPD has made four arrests for burglaries in the Hanalei area, and 14 more for cases involving the Princeville and Moloaa area — including cases involving juveniles.
On Kaua‘i, these crimes are seen as temporary problems where the perpetrators are caught and life goes on. Victims, understandably, have a stronger sense of immediacy with solving the crimes.
On Thursday, members of the police department accepted an invitation to attend a Princeville retirement community meeting on the subject of burglaries. About 40 people attended, and they had as many questions about the crimes.
The neighbors said approximately four more attempted burglaries have occurred in the area. They seem to happen within an hour or so after someone leaves their home.
The Princeville robberies have targeted safes, jewelry and cash — the valuables worth thousands of dollars that can be carried away quickly and on foot. The robbers have not gone after medicine cabinets, electronics or larger valuables, according to the residents.
The greatest fear is that burglars will increase their activity when they don’t get caught. The neighbors are frustrated that none of the suspects in custody have been identified with their break-ins yet, and no items have been returned.
The neighbors have started a neighborhood watch program. It is a sophisticated watch that in addition to patrolling, maintains a database to track people coming and going to aid in long-term prevention.
The possibility that a resident in the neighborhood is the culprit has not been ruled out. However, when an incident occurs it seems to be a good idea to keep a paper trail on all the various house workers, contractors, landscapers, gardeners, pest control professionals and delivery people, they said.
One homeowner confronted an unmarked truck in the driveway of a neighbor who had just left the island. The men identified themselves as surveyors at the recently vacated home.
The gated community isn’t exactly a fortification and some called for a more guarded presence. Others felt the gate sends the wrong message entirely.
One of the neighbors created a private website where residents post useful information and incident reports to establish patterns. They also notify one another when they are out to keep an extra eye on vacant homes.
The police said video surveillance is an excellent tool for aiding prosecution of a case. They encourage a system with good video resolution that provides facial recognition.
There are many systems with grainy video, and police officers called them worthless to investigations. Grainy images likely cannot be used effectively to prosecute if a clear depiction is not available, they added.
If you get an alarm system, police recommend including the maintenance plan to be sure it is always operational. It does no good to pay for a system to find out it wasn’t working properly during a break-in after the fact.
Residents reported finding lightbulbs in the bushes. They said burglars are removing bulbs from outdoor light fixtures to avoid illumination as they climb a lanai or go through a window.
Burglars have tended not to use forced entry in these burglaries, and police encourage home and business owners to fortify doors and windows as the best prevention.
Citizen patrols are also encouraged. The police department is in the process of forming a citizens’ academy to train homeowners in effective surveillance and reporting. The possibility of liability prevents the police from discussing or recommending such intervention during crimes, and they do not want people to get hurt by trying to hold a suspect until police arrive.
Some of the residents asked questions about weapons and pepper spray permits. They want to know what responses are effective and legal.
Police encourage surveillance and not vigilantism. When a burglar is caught, they are usually going to be scared and will do anything to escape, even if it means harming the homeowner.
The courts would decide whether a homeowner was in danger or perceived a threat if such force is used. Police officers told the residents that homeowners often mistake family members or neighbors for a burglar, or even have a perpetrator take and use the weapon against them.
Similar crimes occur against visitors such as the recent burglaries at rental condos on the South Shore. It turned out to be the work of an employee of the management who has since been charged with the thefts after attempting to sell the items online.
Visitors are also cautioned against short-term rentals outside of the visitor destination areas of the south, east and north sides of the island. Short-term rentals in residential areas are more often targets of burglars.
Read the KPD home security checklist at www.kauai.gov/police and click on the ‘Community Relations’ tab.
• Tom LaVenture can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@ thegardenisland.com.
