‘This is their job’: Shoplifting rings are costing Hawaii merchants millions

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Police Department has posted another set of videos of retail thieves in action in hopes that viewers can help track them down.

The two men stole items from a store at Kahala Mall on Feb. 18, stuffing a shopping bag with aloha shirts that were on a display shelf.

The videos show how shoplifting has become organized, taking a bigger toll on businesses.

The thieves target specific, often high-end items to sell later.

“This is their job,” said Tina Yamaki, president of Retail Merchants of Hawaii.

“These guys are not stealing a loaf of bread or Spam or something to feed their family because they’re hungry. This is organized retail crime,” she said, adding it’s costing businesses millions.

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Retired Honolulu Police Department Deputy Chief John McCarthy said those who are arrested are often repeat offenders.

“A lot of them are habitual, and they have 20, 30, even 40 arrests,” McCarthy said.

He added it got worse when the threshold for a felony more than doubled to $750. Those who steal less than that are only tagged with a misdemeanor crime.

Yamaki said it’s rare a shoplifter sees any jail time.

“Because it’s a nonviolent crime,” she said.

“When we go to court with these people, they literally tell us we’re gonna see you when your store opens in a couple of hours.”

Hawaii is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to organized retail thefts, according to a report from Forbes Advisor in December.

Forbes ranked the state fifth out of all the states and Washington, D.C. on the value of the stolen items per resident — at $288.

That’s compared to an average value of $173 for the other locations.

The study also said there are an average 1,532 thefts per 100,000 Hawaii residents.

Also, there is 6% more retail crime than expected given Hawaii population.

Yamaki said merchants often have to pass on the cost of losses to the paying customers or end up closing shop. And Yamaki said they have noticed that the thieves are getting younger.

They’re also fighting back when confronted.

HPD warns against confronting shoplifters(Kawano, Lynn | Original Grail)

HPD Sgt. Chris Kim, Honolulu CrimeStoppers coordinator, warns against shoppers and employees physically confronting those stealing.

“We’d rather you be a good witness,” Kim said. “Pay attention to what they look like, any distinct distinguishing characteristics like scars, marks, tattoos.”

He said those details, along with clear surveillance video, can help police make an arrest, especially if it exceeds the threshold for a felony crime.

If you recognize the shoplifters from Kahala Mall, call Honolulu Crimestoppers at 955-8300.