Maui Crime Over 10 Years: Violent Crime Up 52%; Property Crime Down 20%
The state’s Uniform Crime Report for 2019 has been released, showing a double digit decrease in index crimes in Maui County over the past decade. Police say Maui County’s total index crime rate in 2019 was the lowest on record since the state began collecting data in 1975.
During the past 10 years, the population of Maui County increased +8.5%, and the total number of reported Index Crimes decreased -17.2%, including a -20.5% decline in property crimes; however, violent crimes increased +52.2% over the same period. The data was compiled by the state Attorney General’s Office.
According to the report, violent crimes accounted for 8.3% or 449 of all index crimes in 2019; and property crimes accounted for nearly 92% with 4,984 incidents last year.
The number of reported crimes decreased for four Index Crime categories in 2019 from year before levels: murder (1 case), -80%; rape (110 incidents reported), -3.5%; burglary (577 incidents), -23.2%; and motor vehicle theft (661 cases), -4.6%.
The number of reported crimes increased for five Index Crime categories from the pervious year: robbery (67 cases), +26.4%; aggravated assault (271 cases), +3%; theft (3,746 incidents), +2.9%; and arson (128 cases), +4.9%.
Of the 67 robberies reported, the data shows 12% (8 incidents) involved firearms and 9% (6 incidents) involved knives or cutting instruments.
Of the 271 aggravated assaults reported in 2019, nearly 53% (143 incidents) involved the use of hands/fists/feet/etc.; 35% (95 incidents) involved the use of other dangerous instruments; 8.9% (24 incidents) involved the use of knives or cutting instruments; and 3.3% (9 incidents) involved firearms, according to the report.
The report notes that the value placed on property and items lost to the 128 incidents of arson in 2019 was estimated at more than $777,000.
* On January 1, 2014, the State of Hawaiʻi commenced the collection of rape data using the FBI’s revised definition.
**The total number of rapes under the legacy definition in 2014 is not separately included in the Violent Crime Index, Total Index, and Total Index & Part II offenses. It is, however, already included in the rape count under the revised definition.
The UCR Program collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies regarding the violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, as well as the property crimes of burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. (The FBI classifies arson as a property crime, but arson data is not included in the totals of reported Index Crimes.)
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