Awareness
AWARENESS: Reposting from James Gieschen "WEEKLY PSA: Please read before commenting, as most common questions are answered below. These are not all recent incidents. Many individuals we post are eventually identified with help from the community. Some remain unconfirmed, and we continue to seek assistance for both identification and reliable contact information. If you recognize anyone in this post, please comment (without posting private addresses or phone numbers) or send us a direct message. Each week, a few people are identified this way, but many cases still need your help. QUESTIONS WE HEAR MOST OFTEN Why so many? We have some of the best loss-prevention measures and technology in place, which means we are able to detect, document, and report incidents more reliably than most. In fact, we experience fewer thefts by far than many of our neighbors. The difference is that we identify nearly all incidents promptly and follow through. Sadly, the majority of business owners we speak with have stopped reporting because the process is slow, prosecution is rare, and there are often no consequences. We ourselves can sympathize, and we have provided evidence of this in many prior posts. Why so many women? Because our boutique specializes in emerging fashion designers of women’s clothing and accessories, the majority of our visitors (and therefore incidents) skew female. Why not lock everything up? We refuse to sacrifice our guests’ experience for the sake of a small percentage of bad actors. We do not lock all merchandise behind glass, force bag checks, or post a visible bouncer at the door. We believe strongly in accountability, however, so we do more security and loss-prevention measures (both manual and tech-assisted) than even some of the largest corporations. Why not more security? We already use multiple layers of security: sensors, cameras, staff training, and multiple manual and advanced tracking systems. The real difference is that we report every case, regardless of how “minor”, and share publicly for identification and community awareness. Wow! So much theft! This is not just about shoplifting. Theft, harassment, assault, vandalism, burglary, auto theft, domestic violence, arson—even shootings—are part of a larger community crime crisis. And it will only get worse unless cases are actually prosecuted and accountability is restored. For example, under HRS §708-833.5 (Habitual Property Crime), repeat thefts should trigger felony-level consequences. Yet meaningful prosecution is rare. Likewise, under HRS §708-833 (Theft in the Fourth Degree), penalties often amount to “time served” with fines waived. That is not meaningful accountability for victims, communities, or even offenders themselves. WHY WE POST - Identification & Contact: To assist with confirming identities and obtaining reliable contact information so matters can be pursued through lawful channels. - Community Awareness: To help other businesses and neighbors stay alert to repeat offenders. - Documentation: To support existing police reports and bring transparency to the reality that many of these cases stall without resolution. NAMES & CAPTIONS: When we have corroborated information (e.g., police report, consistent ID, or other reliable sources), we may post both the image and name of an adult individual. This is done strictly for identification and contact purposes. If a name is posted, we may still be seeking more identification and/or contact information. Corrections: If you believe someone has been misidentified (though this has not happened to date), please message us immediately. All reports are reviewed and corrected if warranted. CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS: The people in these photos are real people. Please keep comments constructive, not destructive. Everyone makes mistakes; accountability is not the same as bullying. Any comments that are threatening, harassing, or discriminatory—whether to victims or those posted—will be reported. SOLUTIONS, NOT EXCUSES: It's time for us to start acting. We are already well into Phase I of our Justice Reform Plan. We are advocating for change at every level and department and organization, including our own. More reform initiatives could literally be implemented today. Please take a look at our other posts that offer real solutions to the shortcomings of our criminal justice system. Here is just a short preview of the reforms we are strongly attempting to effect: * Streamlined crime reporting procedures (already on hipono.org) * More access to public domain justice information, such as arrest records, prosecution records, court proceedings, and legislative bills and resolutions (started at hipono.org) * Central, unified access to other justice resources (hipono.org) * Education campaigns aimed at raising awareness of accountability and restorative justice * Timely prosecution of cases within 30 days for misdemeanors, 60 days for Class C felonies, and 90 days for Class A & B felonies * An...