Hawai‘i Police Department
Officer Duane Rapoza
South Hilo Community Policing
Phone: (808) 961-8849
Media Release
With the holidays approaching, the Hawai‘i Police Department is offering home burglary prevention tips and encourages the public to report suspicious activities occurring in your neighborhood. The following tips can help reduce the chances of burglary in your community:
Outside the home:
- Don’t leave a house key hidden outside your home.
- Don’t leave trash for electronics, such as flat screen televisions or gaming consoles, outside on the curb for pick up. This advertises what type of electronics you have in your residence.
- If you plan on traveling off island for an extended period, place a hold on your mail service and newspaper delivery. Piled up mail and newspapers signals that no one is home. Along these lines, arrange to have your lawn mowed if you will be away for an extended time.
- Keep your home’s exterior well lit.
- Keep trees and bushes trimmed so they don’t provide cover for burglars.
- Make sure your door hinges are on the inside.
Inside the home:
- Make your home look occupied even when you’re not there. This could include leaving a light on or the radio playing when you are not at home.
- Lock your doors and windows when you leave your home, including those in the rear of the house that aren’t visible from the street.
- Beware of strangers knocking on doors. They may be burglars checking to see if a house is unoccupied. Report suspicious persons coming to your home to police immediately by calling the non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
- Be cautious of posting your location on social networking sites as they can be used by criminals to determine if you are home.
Be a good neighbor:
- Become familiar with your neighbors and their cars.
- If you see unfamiliar vehicles driving around your neighborhood, note the description of the vehicle, the license plate number and descriptions of any occupants and report them to police department’s non-emergency line (808) 935-3311.
- Ask your neighbors to report any suspicious persons and vehicles seen at or near your home.
Other precautions to take:
- Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including item name, serial number, date bought and original value. Keep this information in a safe place in a place away from your home. Use your smartphone or other device to take photographs and/or video of your valuables. These tips are also helpful in the event of a disaster.
- Mark your valuables with your drivers license number.
- Consider installing an alarm system. There are a wide range of types of alarm systems and companies offering these services. Make inquiries to different companies to see what type of alarm works best for your situation.
- Consider joining your area Neighborhood Watch group. Call your area police station to find out what Neighborhood Watch groups are in your community.
If your home is burglarized:
- If you come home and see evidence that someone has been in your home or may still be there, leave the area and call police immediately.
- Do not touch anything or clean up anything until the police have inspected for evidence.
Free home inspections:
- The Hawaii Police Department’s Community Policing Section offers free home inspections to help homeowners guard against burglaries. If you are interested in this service, please contact Lieutenant William Derr at (808) 961-2350 for more information.
Following these burglary prevention tips can help reduce the risk of falling victim to criminals. To report any suspicious activities, call Hawai‘i Police Department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.