A New Year’s Day-long manhunt and shootout that left a felon dead, two officers hospitalized and a father and son mistakenly beaten by police.

An international teacher doused with acid and disfigured while she took a stroll near a mall.

A dead 10-year-old foster girl found bound, beaten and starved to death.

Humanity’s unexplained ugliness hurt our hearts to start 2024. The crimes left us wondering why.

Despite those-high profile horrors that shocked communities accustomed to that kind of crime happening on the mainland, crime dropped in Honolulu in 2023 compared with 2022’s final tally from the Honolulu Police Department.

Burglaries in 2023 fell to 2,146 from 2,777. Thefts dropped to 15,313 from 19,886, and incidents of stolen cars fell to 3,367 from 4,043.

Fraud offense dropped to 4,179 from 4,800. Aggravated assaults were down to 1,083 from 1,289. Twenty-two people were murdered in 2023, one less than in 2022.

Robberies dropped to 615 from 897, and rape dropped to 796 from 922.

Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan told the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser that several strategies were used and shared by the eight patrol districts based on the criminal activity that was occurring in their district.

“These measures included information sharing and crime analysis reports consistent with the data-driven approach laid out in the department’s strategic plan, such as district information officers,” said Logan. “We also increased bicycle and ATV presence at beaches, parks and high-complaint areas, such as Chinatown.”

Community policing teams continued to engage with residents through neighborhood security watches and citizens patrols as well as at school functions, sign-waving events, graffiti paint-outs and neighborhood cleanups, he said.

“The media have always covered the dark side of human nature (‘If it bleeds, it leads’), but now those types of stories are more pervasive and easily transmitted through social media,” Logan said. “The public is affected by what they see, and understandably, they would get alarmed or get the impression that crimes are occurring more often even though it’s not. Having said that, if your house is broken into or your car gets stolen, it doesn’t matter that crime is down. All that matters is that you or someone you care about was hurt or had property damaged or stolen.”

Logan said there are times when “a story is sensationalized.”

“This happens with the media and social media. Unfortunately, once a story gains traction, it’s very hard to correct,” Logan said.

Logan and his team are focused on making headway to reduce gun crimes on Oahu.

HPD’s Crime Reduction Units work with federal law enforcement and other partners to investigate ghost gun activities.

CRU officers recently assisted the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations with the arrests of people linked to cockfighting and game rooms, Logan said, and additional partners include marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Many crimes are crimes of opportunity, and criminals will look for easy targets. We encourage residents to be vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings,” Logan said. “Don’t display or flash valuables like jewelry and large amounts of cash. Stay in a group. Stop drinking before your judgment becomes impaired. If you are confronted, remember that no item is worth losing your life. Give up the property and try to remember as much as you can about what the suspect or vehicle looked like. Write or record this and call 911.”

Police urge residents to install a security system and motion-sensor lighting and cameras if possible.

“Get to know your neighbors. Consider joining or organizing a neighborhood security watch or citizens patrol. An active community goes a long way in preventing and solving crime,” Logan said.

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm told the Star-Advertiser this his department is “committed to public safety, and values our strong partnership and relationship with HPD.”

“We work with HPD to prioritize all violent crimes, including homicides, assaults, crimes involving firearms, terroristic threatening, robberies, sexual assaults and domestic violence. In addition, we work with HPD continuously to identify and arrest suspects who are considered to be dangerous to public safety regardless of the type of felony offenses being committed,” Alm said. “Those individuals would include, for example, suspects who are on probation or parole, or those who otherwise have a prolific record or who are known to be committing felony crimes regardless of their criminal record.”

Prosecutors also work with HPD using the Habitual Property Offender statute to arrest and charge chronic thieves who routinely steal from stores, creating dangerous situations and raising prices for all of us.

There were 19 habitual property offenders charged in 2021, 31 in 2022 and 35 in 2023, according to county prosecutors.

“Those convicted spend a mandatory year in jail and then four more years on felony probation to help them address any substance and/or mental health issues that contribute towards their criminality,” Alm said.

Prosecutors are working with HPD’s Narcotics- Vice detail to identify and shutter game rooms, many of which “are hotbeds of criminal activity.”

“Strategies include arrest, and Nuisance Abatement and Asset Forfeiture civil statutes. Through this unprecedented cooperation and dedication of resources, dozens of game rooms were shut down in 2023, and more will be in 2024,” Alm said.

To address higher crime and “certain challenged neighborhoods,” prosecutors have been working with HPD, the city, residents, nonprofits, businesses, schools and others in three Weed & Seed sites and Safe & Sound-Waikiki, Alm said.

“We are employing strategies in these sites to identify, arrest and prosecute individuals who commit the most crime, combined with ‘Seed’ and ‘Sound’ efforts to improve the quality of life in those communities,” he said.

As part of that strategy, prosecutors attempt to get geographical restrictions so that those who are convicted of committing crimes are prohibited from being in that area (unless they live, work or receive services) for the period of their probation term: six months for petty misdemeanors, one year for misdemeanors and four years for felonies.

That tactic gives those communities a break from chronic crooks. As of Jan. 31, 291 defendants had received geographical restrictions since Safe & Sound- Waikiki started on Sept. 6, 2022, and 179 are currently in effect there.

“These strategies have proven very successful. For example, in Safe & Sound-Waikiki, crimes in the first year (September 2022 through September 2023), compared with the year before, were reduced for burglaries (32%), robberies (35%), car break-ins (31%) and criminal property damage (27%),” Alm said.

A series of “horrific car crashes,” including a fatal hit-and-run next to McKinley High school, caused Alm’s office to take a more aggressive approach to traffic offenses, including asking for jail time for people who repeatedly drive without a license, he said.

“We are calling on judges to impose jail time for repeat offenders to deter those drivers and others from continuing their thoughtless and criminal behaviors,” Alm said.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi “commends our Police Department for their vigilance and tireless dedication to serving the public.”

“I wish I could tell you that there was one specific thing that we did to contribute to the decrease in violent crime, because if I could, I promise you that we would do more of it. It is true that wherever possible, we have tried to increase our police presence,” Blangiardi said. “But it is also true that people in our own communities are the ones who are breaking the law and committing violent crimes. And so maybe, just maybe, the law-abiding people in our communities have had enough and, along with HPD, have created enough awareness that the violence around us is curtailed somewhat. We live in Hawaii, we have an aloha spirit and we should love and care for one another. I pray that these numbers continue to decline in the future.”

Based on the data, crime overall on Oahu was reduced in 2023 from 2022.

“At the same time, if asked, many people just don’t feel safe and think that crime is up,” Alm said. “Unfortunately, there have always been a number of horrific crimes that have occurred. Currently, given more access to information, people are more aware of crimes when they take place. This adds to their perception that more crimes are taking place when actually they are not.

“People now hear about crime from many sources. That includes newspaper and online and TV reports, as well as social media and phone alerts. If more attention was paid by all of these entities to highlight the lower crime statistics, as this article is doing, that might help people to learn about the good news that crime is actually down.”

Alm is troubled by the proliferation of ghost guns, which are easy-to-manufacture, untraceable firearms. The Department of Prosecuting Attorney takes a strong stance on the use and illegal possession of all firearms.

“Ghost guns are a growing concern, and there is a statute that governs ghost gun parts,” Alm said. “We take all felony cases involving firearms seriously, regardless of whether the firearm used is a ghost gun or not, and prioritize those cases for investigation and charging.”

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY DROPS

Type of offense 2023 2022

Burglaries 2,146 2,777

Thefts 15,313 19,886

Stolen cars 3,367 4,043

Fraud 4,179 4,800

Aggravated assaults 1,083 1,289

Murders 22 23

Robberies 615 897

Rapes 796 922

Source: Honolulu Police Department