Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, July 3, 2014
Kauai property crime rates spur community to action
By Malia Zimmerman @ 4:30 PM :: 9414 Views :: Kauai County, Law Enforcement

Kauai property crime rates spur community to action

by Malia Zimmerman, Watchdog.org, July 3, 2014 

HANALEI, Kauai — The remote island of Kauai is known for its cascading waterfalls, lush green mountains and turquoise seas. Though a visual paradise, the island’s 66,000 residents and 85,000 visitors are challenged each month by an inefficient criminal justice system.

Kauai Crime Stats from 2012, the latest available from the state attorney general Kauai Crime Stats from 2012, the latest available from the state attorney general

While violent crime is relatively low on Kauai, it has about 2,600 property crimes per year — the highest per capita in the state, according to the latest report available, from 2012. Island residents fed up with Kauai’s property crime have formed a victim’s advocacy group — Citizens Against Thieves — and its 300 members are organizing a campaign to pressure the local judges to keep criminals behind bars.

Bob Warren, co-founder of CAT, was inspired to take action after he and his wife were burglarized three times by the same person. His experience as a victim in Hawaii’s justice system made him realize how dysfunctional that system can be.

He and several other community volunteers have met with police officials and lawmakers to learn more about the inefficiencies.

One problem Warren identified surrounds victims who visit the island but oftentimes cannot return to testify against the alleged criminal, or, if they do return, see the case is delayed at the defense attorney’s request. That has led to more visitors being targeted.

Warren was hoping legislation to allow live video testimony by the victims would pass this past session, but the move was tabled.

Perry, who as the police chief has attended several community forums about Kauai’s crime problem, said he realizes the public is frustrated by criminals who continue to victimize residents and visitors.

“In public meetings that I attend, the public has no idea as to the complexity of our criminal justice system, and how all the pieces have to work in sync in order to be successful toward keeping our community safe while providing needed rehabilitation opportunities for those who are willing to change,” Perry said.

Perry said the state cannot “arrest and incarcerate our way out of this mess.”

 Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry

Part of the problem with the criminal justice system, Perry said, is that arrests are based on probable cause, whereas a conviction has a much higher standard of proof – “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“Police have enough probable cause to arrest someone according to a reasonable person’s standard, but as the standard shifts upwards, witnesses may recant or provide false statements; what was believed to be evidence is rejected through technical proceedings, which hinders the prosecutors,” Perry said. “However, if all the planets are in alignment and we’ve dotted our ‘I’s and crossed our ‘T’s, then it’s up to the courts to convict and incarcerate.”

Hawaii’s shortage of prison space and budgetary concerns limit what can be done.

“Prisons have a set number of bed spaces, and once that number is exceeded there may be civil rights violations. Then there are budgetary concerns, whereby if the capacity is exceeded, the first to be let out are the less dangerous criminal — which usually means people who commit crimes against property,” Perry said.

Through CAT’s any meetings with people involved in the justice system, its members have learned those in the system tend to blame other branches for the growing crime problems and a lack of money to tackle the issue.

Warren said Kauai’s crime problem, which is echoed throughout the state, has to be addressed because it affects the economy, residents’ way of life and Hawaii’s most important industry — tourism.

His group will continue to do what it can to draw attention to the island’s criminal justice problems, propose common sense solutions and campaign to keep criminals with high recidivism rates behind bars. His group is now focused on the case of Kyle Matsumoto, 37, who has been arrested 153 times on Kauai.

 Kyle Matsumoto has been arrested 153 times on Kauai

Court records show that, since 2000, Matsumoto has been charged with 98 felonies, 51 misdemeanors and four petty misdemeanors. He’s been convicted of 10 felonies and one petty misdemeanor violation; 38 felonies and 46 misdemeanors were dismissed. Matsumoto awaits trial on 50 felonies, five misdemeanors and three petty misdemeanor violations.

In court June 24, Matsumoto entered no-contest pleas in four separate felony cases, and on June 5 he entered no-contest pleas in two other felony cases committed between May 2012 and December 2013. His crimes include burglary, theft, identity theft, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle , promoting a dangerous drug, credit card theft and forgery.

Matsumoto, who is being held at the Kauai correctional facility in lieu of $445,000 bail, will be sentenced in six of the cases Oct. 1.

Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry called Matsumoto “the poster child of a system that must be corrected.”

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT