● The rate of reported offenses for two violent Index Crimes decreased in the State of Hawaii in 2015: rape, by 1.9%; and aggravated assault, by 1.6%. The rate of reported offenses for the other two violent Index Crimes increased: murder, by 6.5%; and robbery, by 12.4%.
● Rates of reported offenses increased by 1.3% each for two property Index Crime categories: larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. The rate of reported offenses for burglary decreased by 9.5%.
● The rate of reported offenses for arson increased by 66.1% statewide in 2015.
● Based on the proportion of arrests (plus cases closed by “exceptional means”) to reported offenses, the statewide clearance rate for total Index Crimes decreased, from 16.2% in 2014 to 15.3% in 2015.
● The number of Index Crime arrests fell by 5.0% statewide in 2015. Arrests for violent Index Crimes decreased 8.7%, and arrests for property Index Crimes decreased 3.9%.
● Adult arrests comprised 83.0% of all Index Crime arrests in 2015; juvenile arrests accounted for 17.0%. Crime in Hawaii 2015 provides state and county data on the age, gender, and race/ethnicity of arrestees.
● The City & County of Honolulu’s total Index Crime rate increased 1.2% in 2015. The violent and property crime rates increased by 6.6% and 0.8%, respectively. The City & County of Honolulu’s rates for murder, rape, and burglary were the lowest in the State of Hawaii, while its robbery rate was the highest.
● Hawaii County’s total Index Crime rate decreased 2.8% in 2015; the property crime rate fell 2.1%, and the violent crime rate dropped 13.7%. Hawaii County’s crime rates rose for four of the ten Index Crime offenses, with notable increases of 162.3% for murder and 69.4% for arson. Hawaii County reported the lowest robbery and arson rates in the State of Hawaii, and the highest rates for murder, motor vehicle theft, and human trafficking–commercial sex acts.
● The total Index Crime rate in Maui County increased 2.3% in 2015; the violent crime rate rose 7.6%, and the property crime rate edged up 1.8%. Maui County’s crime rates increased for six of the ten Index Crime offenses, with a notable increase of 86.4% for arson. Maui County reported the highest statewide rates for total, violent, and property Index Crimes, as well as rape, aggravated assault, and larceny-theft.
● The total Index Crime rate in Kauai County decreased 22.7% in 2015. Kauai County’s violent crime rate decreased 26.3%, and the property crime rate dropped 22.4%. Kauai County’s arson rate increased by 828.9% in 2015. Kauai County’s rates for total Index Crime, total violent crime, total property crime, aggravated assault, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft were the lowest in the State of Hawaii, while its rates for burglary and arson were the highest.
● Twenty-nine murders were reported statewide in 2015. Males comprised 72.4% of the murder victims and 75.0% of the alleged offenders. One-third (33.3%) of known relationships between murder victims and offenders in 2015 were strangers, while about one-quarter (25.9%) were immediate family members.
● Of the 2,992 murders, robberies, and aggravated assaults reported statewide in 2015, 47.1% were committed using strong-arm weapons (i.e., hands, fists, and feet); 25.0% with “other” or unknown weapons; 17.3% with knives or other edged weapons; and 10.5% with firearms.
● Over $85 million in property value was reported stolen in the State of Hawaii in 2015, up 8.1% from the figure reported in 2014. Of the total value stolen in 2015, 29.5% was recovered, marking an increase from the 25.7% that was recovered in 2014.
● No police officers were killed in the line of duty in the State of Hawaii during 2015, but 401 officers were assaulted, yielding a rate of 13.6 assaults per 100 officers. Crime in Hawaii 2015 also provides data on the time of day, type of Department of the Attorney General News Release 2016-81 Page 3 assignment, and the weapons used in assaults against police officers (see Appendix D).
● On October 31, 2015, a total of 2,939 police officers and 826 civilians were employed by the four county police departments, denoting a 0.3% decrease in workforce from the figures reported from October 31, 2014.