LIHU‘E — Car thefts are on the rise on Kaua‘i, with police reporting Wednesday that 64 vehicles have been stolen this year, compared to 31 stolen in all of 2021.
LIHU‘E — Car thefts are on the rise on Kaua‘i, with police reporting Wednesday that 64 vehicles have been stolen this year, compared to 31 stolen in all of 2021.
Two more were taken Monday, and police are asking the public to help find them.
“There are more members of the public then there are police officers,” KPD said in a press release. “The public might have a better chance of seeing these vehicles, or knowing what happened to the vehicles, thereby increasing our chances of successfully recovering them and possibly getting leads to the suspects who took them.”
The first vehicle, stolen from a Koloa residence, is a 2015 gray Nissan Cube, with burgundy-colored rims — license plate number KCB489.
The second, stolen from Kaumuali‘i Highway in Waimea fronting the establishment Spice Of Life Collectables And Fine Junque, is a 2000, white, four-door Mazda Protégé — license plate number NZG531.
The public is reminded not to engage with the occupants of either of these cars, and is asked to instead document and report information to KPD dispatch at 808-241-1711.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i, 808-246-8300 or visiting cskauai.org.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
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Have none of these cars been recovered? I guess if you can’t remember you have a gun in your carry on then how are you going to find 64 cars on a very small island? How late ng did we look for a police Chief?
How do you steal 64 cars on an island that’s smaller than most U.S. counties and get away with it? That’s just telling us that the thieves are smarter than the cops on Kauai. More than likely the cars are being chop-shopped, repainted, and handed off to relatives. In my neighborhood alone, I’m seeing too many vehicles with no current registration tags, expired safety check tags, and front and rear license plates that don’t match. Hey, lucky you live Kauai.
While this is not good, the state is in the top 10 for auto thefts per capita at 380. If we continue at the same rate for the year, Kauai would be at 178. Would be good if KPD could add to their press releases some theft prevention stuff, like cars not being locked or windows left open.