Oahu businesses are struggling as the number of burglaries has increased by more than 100 in the past year

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Smash-and-grab thieves continue to terrorize businesses across Oahu, with more than 100 destructive break-ins in the past year. It’s a crime trend that seems to ebb and flow. Recently, law enforcement sources told HNN Investigates there was another spike in activity.

Over the past two months, HNN Investigates has confirmed that at least 22 burglaries have occurred islandwide.

Police say thieves often escape through store cash registers.

Surveillance videos show how heartless criminals can cause thousands of dollars in damage in just a few seconds. Businesses must shoulder the burden of replacing stolen goods and the costs of repairs.

HNN Investigates spoke with several entrepreneurs who have been affected in the past two months.

“I’m hurt by it. Because we are a small local business,” said Leiann Young.

The owner of Aloha Smoke Shack said her store was burglarized shortly after closing on September 26.

“Just replacing a glass door is very expensive,” she says.

A Kapolei restaurant owner who wished to remain anonymous told us it cost her $1,200 to replace her broken door.

“I wish they wouldn’t do this,” she said. “It’s difficult for us as entrepreneurs.”

Miguel Torres owns El Mariachi in Kapolei. On October 4, his business was broken into.

“He was here for maybe a minute,” he said. “These guys, they know what they’re doing.”

It was not easy to determine the exact number of these blatant burglaries.

Despite being a long-standing problem, HPD told us it still doesn’t have a “smash and grab” category so data can be tracked and counted.

Since September 1, Honolulu police say there have been 31 burglaries involving restaurants and stores, and said “some incidents involved the use of heavy objects thrown through glass doors.”

With the help of law enforcement sources, HNN Investigates has confirmed that at least 22 of these burglaries amount to theft.

At a recent press conference, Major Brian Lynch said, “Businesses need to have alarms that work. And they need surveillance systems that work.”

He also advised against leaving valuables such as tip jars in plain sight, adding that in a number of the cases currently being investigated, thieves have gotten away with cash registers.

“If you have a cash register, don’t leave it closed on the counter. Leave the drawer open. Take out the tray. Or you can put it upside down on the counter,” Lynch said. “So when you look through the window in the store, you see that there is no money in the cash register.”

On October 18, Honolulu police arrested four suspects wanted in connection with six burglaries that occurred the night before in Wahiawa.

“The suspects are an adult man of 22 years old. And the other three males were juveniles – 15, 16 and 16 years old,” Lynch said.

HNN Investigates confirmed that 22-year-old Ricky Phan was charged with five counts of second-degree burglary and one count of driving a stolen vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the crimes.

Phan remains in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center. His bail is $500,000.

No information is available about the other three suspects because they are minors.

While HPD said it believes they are one of the main groups targeting businesses, Lynch added, there are likely others.

“I believe there is more than just one group,” he said.

Some other things you can do to protect your business include installing motion-activated lighting and reinforcing windows with safety glass or film. Some companies even install shutters to protect their windows and doors.