Re: How safe is Hawaii (waikiki is a violent crime area?)
Lisa’s note; Waikiki is NOT a violent crime area. The below information may have come from business owner in Waikiki who one night was jumped by a drug dealer and beaten. He then apparently spent years carrying a sign in Waikiki ‘warning the tourists that waikiki was a violent crime area’ and then either he or someone using his name or someone else named that came here and posted this.
I lived in Hawaii for 14 years and never was a victim of ANY crime, not so much as a car break in.
Of course, there have been violent crimes and there are violent crimes but they are not the norm. Before Hawaii I lived in San Francisco and once I got to Hawaii I felt so safe I would go walking on my lunch hour which happened to be at 1 or 2 in the morning when I worked nights. Being a woman, walking alone at night didn’t scare me at all.
In Hawaii, the only major thing I would worry about is petty theft or car break-ins. Don’t leave your purse or luggage in your car or on the beach and you’ll be fine.
Just to give you a further example: you’ll see here that Hawaii in 2003 was safer than all other states except for four, when it came to death by murder. Hawaii only had 1.7 deaths by murder per 100,000 population. The safest was maine at 1.2.
*** the following was a forum post in 2003, I have archived it here.
Posted by John Cook
My hubby and I have been to the four major islands with no problems. We have camped remote on islands etc.. moreON THE OTHER HAND ….. I was beaten to near death at a HOTEL in Waikiki. I was left in a coma and nearly bled to death in the Hotel’s elevator. I was attacked by drug dealers that LIVED at the hotel. Had I known what a high Crime Rate Waikiki has I never would have went there.
I was fortunate, MANY have died. Hawaii is rated the #1 Crystal Meth City in the USA and along with that sad statistic comes all the theft, robberies, car & room break-ins, rapes, stabbings, attacks on tourists (note from Lisa – there really are very few attacks on tourists, really) and murders You would expect from the Highest Drug Use City in the Nation.
Reading Shara’s story about hiding her valubles in the sand while at the beach is quite comical; NEVER leave your items unattended. I live Here in Hawaii and I GUARANTEE You that a Drug addict will be watching You while your at the beach. (Lisa’s note – don’t leave your stuff in the sand, however, I did, often, and I never had mine stolen) They wait for you to go into the water so they can grab your things and run. It is probably the #1 way tourists are robbed Here.
The 2nd is stealing the valuables you leave in your car followed by hotel-room break-ins. It’s sad that such a beautiful place is plagued with such a horrible drug epidemic.
What about you? What do you think about how safe Hawaii is? I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below, thanks.
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10 January 2010 |
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One Response to “Re: How safe is Hawaii (waikiki is a violent crime area?)”
1
iquanyin
23 January 2010 @ 12:53 pm
i lived in hawaii (up till this year) for seven years, most of those in honolulu. i was and am poor. i worked graveyard, and also as a street performer on kalakaua avenue. i’m a woman. i can tell you this: lisa is absolutely right. in my whole seven years there i saw one–one–almost violent thing. a group of teens was running down kalakaua and one pulled a knife. cops appeared faster than i can type this sentence, and that was the end of it.
i often went swimming, and left my things under my clothes. the trick is understanding humans. no one’s going to watch you for a solid half hour. you go to the beach, immediately put your things under a pile of something boring looking, and just enjoy the sun. way later, just get up and swim. don’t use or glance at your stuff till you’re ready to leave.
that said, yes, petty theft is rampant. it’s the only thing–besides the insane housing prices–that bothered me there. danger? hahahahaha. i walked alone hundreds of nights, anywhere i felt like. not a single problem. none. zero. hawaii is by far the safest place i’ve ever lived.
i’m curious how this business owner was there with the dealers in the hotel. perhaps it was just incredibly bad luck, but my time in honolulu left me with the lesson that yes, you can get beaten or even killed there but you have to be involved somehow. i’m not saying he dealt drugs, but perhaps he was trying to recover stolen property by himself or the like. i’m from LA, i can easily recognize dealers, i’ve been in plenty of elavators and etc with them. like anyone else, they don’t strike up random conversations with strangers while doing mundane activities.
but indeed, if you’re not smart, it’s very likely you’ll have something stolen. the only other serious problem there that i found is jealousy and domestic violence, and this wasn’t something i personally experienced but indeed, it exists there.
no place is perfect, but hawaii comes incredibly close from what i’ve seen. just be sure you have a whale full of money for rent.
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