Ask the Mayor: Is There a Reward for Citizens Who Turn in Tips About Arson?

The arson fire was located at the Maui Drug Court offices on the back side of Gionnatto’s Pizza in Wailuku. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his office staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email atAskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, call 270-7855 or send them by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Aloha Mayor,

Q: Each year, numerous fires are intentionally set, costing county taxpayers dearly. Should Maui offer substantial rewards that might lead to the arrest of Maui’s arsonists? A $50,000 to $100,000 reward might be a good investment that could save taxpayers much more in firefighting costs.

A: The County of Maui currently offers monetary rewards for citizens coming forward with information regarding criminal activities that lead to conviction through our local Crime Stoppers program. The reward amounts are not as high as you propose, but the current system of receiving “tips” from the public has been shown to be instrumental in helping to solve many types of crime both locally and nationally.

To offer information about a crime, call Maui Crime Stoppers at 242-6966; more information is available online.