what is the crime really like on maui? (Kihei, Lahaina: living, moving)

[Calico Salsa]

As with any extreme viewpoints, there is always some grain of truth in it, otherwise it would be easy to disbelieve.

Car torchings are pretty much cars that have been abandoned. Yes, sometimes stolen, dumped, and torched, although often just ones that people don't want any more. As I recall, there's an old law on the books that makes an abandoned car the problem of the landowner on which it rests, not the registered own. But really not as if cars in someone's driveway are getting set on fire because of the race of the owner.

Do kids in school call each other names? Yes, but I'm quite sure Maui doesn't have a lock on that. I went to school in California, in the SF Bay Area, often a bit TOO politically correct, and racial name-calling happened at all grade levels. As did name calling about gender, clothing, how you looked, what you did... it's a part of what happens. Worth dealing with, as a parent or school official? Yes. Worth considering a widespread plot or sign of impending violence? Nope.

Lots of things happen. Yes, there's crime, and drugs, and angry violent people. Just as everywhere. Each person will live their life and have experiences and consider that the reality. But what happens for one doesn't necessary happen for everyone. Sometimes it depends on where and with whom you choose to hang out. Spend a lot of time around people with a lot of drama and drugs, what are you going to get? Spend a lot of time around people with snooty privileged lives, and what are you going to get? Been there, done that, no thanks. We find ourselves surrounded by people with good intentions, common sense, the spirit of aloha.. in part because that's what we seek and accept.

I think sometimes the people who post about the awfulness of crime on Maui haven't lived somewhere else. Or maybe they choose, or sadly are forced, to be around that lifestyle. I moved from California, in an area that would not have been considered "bad" by Bay Area standards. Yet I was always on the alert, and had personal crime & injury done to me many times over my lifetime. It's not that way on Maui. Does it exist? Yes, but the big difference I find is that my choices have a greater impact on whether that is in my life or not. That is, I can be in parking lots where criminals hang out, but it's not in every parking lot.

I hope it stays this way for a long time. A part of helping that to come true is to participate in identifying problems and solving them.

[agita_san]

Originally Posted by MickeyE

No, she is not a "time traveler". She moved to Ohio from Mississippi where she was born when she was two years old, and she is now 61 years old. She remembers the "no coloreds allowed" places, just a hole in the ground for the "coloreds" to use for a toilet at the places they stopped for food or gas and being very thirsty because they couldn't get a drink of water. No "coloreds" allowed at the drinking fountain.

Now times have changed - maybe. There is still the Klan, mostly in Southern states. You may have moved to the NC mountains, but are you white and married to a black woman? Might make a difference in how you feel about it. At least it does to us.

It may be OK for us to travel to Belzoni MS where she was born and on to Philadelphia MS to visit her uncle Bishop Clifton Jones, but she is hesitant to do so. We even get dirty looks here in Columbus OH - some from whites but a lot from blacks - when we go out. Not as much as when we were first married in 1981, but some.

Yeah, I know this has nothing to do with perceived racism in Hawaii other than when we vacationed in Hawaii we never had the dirty looks or racist remarks that we have had on the mainland.

Mickey

Me and my girlfriend get looks and comments all the time as well. She is japanese/white just looks japanese) and I'm white/japanese (just looks white).
Most of the looks and comments tend to come from white people tho...I guess white folks tend to not like it when a white person is with someone of another race?

[buddhapotpie]

Sorry Mickey - not trying to be a troll...I wouldnt want to visit a place i have bad memories of either. I always raise an eyebrow when I hear someone throw out lynching as a possibility of visiting the south. Its kind of like me not wanting to go out west because I might get scalped. What year is this? would be the next question Id expect someone to ask. I still see old buildings here and there where you can tell it had a colored entrance or dining area around the side or back. Crazy to think how that could occur in "modern" times. Best to you both.
-B

[Occifer]

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I just had to comment. I am a law enforcement officer in a major metropolitan area. I'd like to move to Maui one day after retirement and still get the Maui News on one of my apps every day.

A couple days ago I read an article about an attempted purse snatching in Lahaina. An ATTEMPTED purse snatching. In my city murders are only in the news for a day or so and something like that would never get any press whatsoever. Bank robberies many times don't even make the paper or evening news. If an attempted purse snatching is grounds for a newspaper article to be written then crime is nothing compared to most places.

[aqua0]

Originally Posted by hothulamaui

Mahalo mickey, the only "hate" crimes we have here are bored jerk punks taking purses and wallets of tourists when they are left unattended on the beach!

I'm glad it never happened to you...but I've met whites beaten up due to racism. It's not common or not commonly known, mostly denied and never talked about. It doesn't happen to everyone obviously, but it DOES happen. To somebody. More often than you would be willing to know.

[FRISCOLVER]

Originally Posted by truthwave

there is alot of crime on this island..there are plenty of unsolved murders and if your white ...you will find out the depths of racism and hatred when you visit...make sure you get the proper ins...good chance some one will ding your car....god forbid your breaks down on the way to hana...your car will be torched by the always thieveing night time roaming ice heads....none of this stuff ever makes it to the maui news...because.....the tourist industry...white capitalist who run the hotels...run the show here...this hatred has been transfered to anybody who is white....if you move here you will never be accepted by the majority of people...no matter how much you contribute to the community...and if you believe spiritually something other than the standard christian beliefs ...good chance youll pay the price for that on too.
alot of judgement and gossip flys around here..people who have nothing better to do than sit around and talk ****...on the other hand...there are alot of caring aloha spirited people of all races here...there alot of creative people here and alot of people have wonderful lives here...if you can deal living with severe racism

I was in Hana at Waianapanapa 3 days ago. Right there at the caves when a really nice white girl and boyfriend were swimming in the cave pool. Comes back up, looks in her purse and her wallet was stolen ! She was very tearful and was blaming a group of locals that were tatooed and drinking beer. But they denied taking it. Very sad. Did those guys do it? probably, I was right there but did not see it happen! Is this rascism? No, it's very poor people who don't have a rats chance in hell to ever live a quality life. No values and no conscience is actually hell on earth..

[usetobe]

Originally Posted by truthwave

there is alot of crime on this island..there are plenty of unsolved murders and if your white ...you will find out the depths of racism and hatred when you visit...make sure you get the proper ins...good chance some one will ding your car....god forbid your breaks down on the way to hana...your car will be torched by the always thieveing night time roaming ice heads....none of this stuff ever makes it to the maui news...because.....the tourist industry...white capitalist who run the hotels...run the show here...this hatred has been transfered to anybody who is white....if you move here you will never be accepted by the majority of people...no matter how much you contribute to the community...and if you believe spiritually something other than the standard christian beliefs ...good chance youll pay the price for that on too.
alot of judgement and gossip flys around here..people who have nothing better to do than sit around and talk ****...on the other hand...there are alot of caring aloha spirited people of all races here...there alot of creative people here and alot of people have wonderful lives here...if you can deal living with severe racism

This is so true, it is sad. the first 2 weeks I moved here I was slapped in the face by a very large Local women at a baseball game, because she was jealous that her husband said I was cute, most Local men cheat, very common here,.after that I jumped off the sidewalk when ever I saw any Local chick coming my way. They are just very sad Jealous people. For crime there is PLENTY of crime here. Robbery is huge, I have been robbed 3 times in 18 yrs, the worst time was when I was sleeping , Aliki Kalua broke into my home from back slider,came into my bedroom, took my CC card, $135 and my Cigs out of my purse in 2005. He and a couple of others had been Robbing hotels and apts on the westside on Maui for months, he is in jail now , he got 20yrs . he was SOOOO stupid that he ask my neighbor , an old classmate of his for a cig and told him that he had to get in my apt, later my neighbor was able to tell the police who he was. I was lucky he did not hurt me. It usetobe that we did not have to lock our doors , but now that has changed. The other 2 times they got busted too. One of the worst things that happens here I believe is the Animal abuse, I wish something could be done about that . Over the yrs I have found many Nice local people tho. The apt complex that I live in now 1 1/2 yrs the police come nightly, moving very soon.

[usetobe]

[quote=hothulamaui;17951881]Mahalo mickey, the only "hate" crimes we have here are bored jerk punks taking purses and wallets of tourists when they are left unattended on the beach![/QUOTE

Thats not what happen in my bedroom!!!

[usetobe]

Originally Posted by aqua0

I'm glad it never happened to you...but I've met whites beaten up due to racism. It's not common or not commonly known, mostly denied and never talked about. It doesn't happen to everyone obviously, but it DOES happen. To somebody. More often than you would be willing to know.

It sure does, at that baseball game 5 of our team mates ,my brother included, got the hell beat out of them ,because we WON!!! JEALOUSY

Read my first post

[Edenscarecrow]

I've read all of your post. They have been helpful. But the post that resonated strongly with me was that from OCCIFER.

I, too, am a police officer in a metropolitan city on the east coast. And like OCCIFER, my fiance and I are strongly considering Maui as our home upon my retirement.

My city is oozing with crime, and I mean real crime (i.e., homicides, robberies, etc...). The movie Robo-Cop could have been filmed here. We have drug dealers, prostitution, and violent crimes against persons.

Strange as it seems, a little purse snatching or car break-ins is refreshing compared to my world. My police advice: never create an oportunity for the bad guys and trust no one.

As for racism, it exist in some form everywhere. I'm African-American and my kids are bi-racial. I get racism here, so there's nothing new.

I think the real deal-breaker for our decision to live in Maui is if our future neighbors burn crosses on their yards on a weekly basis. Other than that, it still sounds like paradise.