Honolulu police have touted an overall drop in property crimes of almost 9 percent last year, but that means little to Sesnita Moepono of 'Alewa Heights.

Jewelry, garden supplies and a TV were stolen from her home, she says, and the neighborhood has seen a surge in burglaries this past summer. Thieves became so brazen that they began walking into homes while the owners were still there. Stolen cars are dumped in her neighborhood, she says, and even the mail gets swiped.

"I've lived in this area all my life and it was never like this when I was small," said Moepono, a 55-year-old Honolulu attorney. "I was a victim of a home burglary and a couple of attempted ones. I feel violated and fear sets in because your home, once the safe area for you, is no longer safe."

Recently released neighborhood-by-neighborhood crime figures show that while 2004 was a better year for most residents worried about property crime, some parts of the island remain plagued by thefts and burglaries. Residents, and even police, remain frustrated by the persistent problem.

The figures show that for the most part, crime went down in most areas of O'ahu. They include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. The downtown Honolulu district had the highest number of larceny thefts on the island last year with 6,032 incidents, up from 5,812 in 2003.

"The best thing to counter that (rise in crime) is to get tough and make the commitment to fight it," she said. "You stare at strangers parked on your street and you note their license plate in case something happens. Sometimes, I even ask them if they are lost to let them know someone is watching them. Some may call it paranoia, but I call it self-patrol."

Islandwide last year, property crimes — burglary, larceny theft and car theft — dropped 9 percent to 44,121 reported offenses, down from 48,306 in 2003.

Police say property crimes sometimes can be even more difficult to solve than violent crimes.

"In a violent crime you normally have at least one witness. In property crimes, many times you have no witnesses," said Honolulu Police Deputy Chief Paul Putzulu. "Burglars and thieves are the criminals most citizens get involved with because they threaten the security and safety of your home. We take the property crime as important as the violent crime because it causes anguish to the public."

A look at three Honolulu areas where property crimes remain stubbornly high illustrates just what residents and police are facing:

DISTRICT 1: DOWNTOWN HONOLULU

Downtown, home to the city's business district and the heart of state government, is one of the heaviest crime areas on the island, police figures show.

In addition to a high number of larcenies, the area had 773 burglaries and 924 auto thefts last year.

That doesn't surprise Lester Fukuda whose bicycle was stolen from Harbor Square's second-floor parking garage this month.

"It was locked with a heavy chain and lock, along with the seat of another bike," he said.

Fukuda said many more thefts and auto break-ins seem to be occurring in his neighborhood. He thinks one burglar was watching a neighbor's home when the father and son left, leaving the wife sleeping in the house.

"We heard our neighbor scream and then saw a red sports car speed off," he said.

John Breinich, who lives in the Ala Moana/Kaka'ako area, said the area's density and urban setting, including a high concentration of bars, present a problem for residents.

"We have a high rate of car thefts," he said. "I have not personally been a victim of crime, but our stats show high rates, often seasonal (and) associated with school out and heavy traffic at the shopping centers."

DISTRICT 3: PEARL CITY

Crime soared in Pearl City last year, rising to a total of 7,865 offenses from 6,661 in 2003, an 18 percent jump. The area had the second-highest number of burglaries on O'ahu — 1,061 — and the highest number of car thefts — 1,929.

Three major roadways — the H-1 Freeway, Moanalua Freeway and Kamehameha Highway — run through the district, making for a transient population mixing with an older, established community.

The district is home to 31 neighborhood security watches with 780 members and nine citizen patrols with 154 members, according to police.

Masaki Murakami, 77, has lived in his single-story home on Ho'ohulu Street in Pearl City since 1957 and has been ripped off a handful of times.

Over the years thieves have walked off with tools from his garage and other small items but Murakami has been spared significant loss.

His neighbors, he said, have been less fortunate.

"Last Christmas, a guy went through their house, took Christmas presents," he said. "Over here is not too bad. Sometimes guys come up from the drainage canal and steal stuff. The neighbors get dogs, so that helps."

He pointed to two houses across the street that had been burglarized in the past year. One couple lost both sets of golf clubs after they were stolen from their garage, he said.

May Imamura-Uruu, a 35-year resident of Palamoi Street in Pearl City, has twice been the victim of thieves.

When her son was 10, his brand-new bicycle disappeared from their front yard. More recently a punching bag suspended from a beam in her carport was taken.

Imamura-Uruu blames much of the property crime in her area on O'ahu's crystal methamphetamine problem. She said she thinks residents are preyed upon by thieves who often strike while most residents are at work.

"It's too easy to get away with things," she said. "We have to have more togetherness. ... The neighbors gotta stand together. That's how we keep crime out."

In the 37 years Jane Nishiguchi has lived on Ho'okupa Street in Pearl City, she and her husband have avoided becoming the victims of property crime although she does acknowledge it is a prevalent problem.

Recently she says her neighbor, a young woman who lives alone, was burglarized. While the incident was unsettling, it is common in Pearl City, she said.

"I still feel safe," she said, while walking with her 1 1/2-year-old granddaughter. "But we all watch out for each other."

DISTRICT 7: EAST HONOLULU

East Honolulu was the burglary capital of O'ahu last year with 1,538 reported offenses, down slightly from 1,597 in 2003.

In all, more than 5,800 total offenses were reported in East Honolulu, an area targeted by thieves drawn to its general affluence. Police estimate that 109 neighborhood security watches operate in the area.

Bob Chuck, a neighborhood board member who lives in the Hawai'i Kai-Kalani High School- Kuli'ou'ou area, has been burglarized twice.

Four months ago, thieves took his laptop computer, forcing him to change all of his personal identification to avoid identity theft.

"It was a lot of humbug but I did it," he said. "They cut the screen and came in through the door.

"Now, we have citizens organized and patrolling. Our area has had a lot of problems with drugs and drug dealers. Police have been very cooperative with us and are working hard to do whatever they can."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.