City officials said construction site thefts and vandalism appear to be on the increase in recent years — driving up costs for contractors and the city — while delaying community projects from parks and restrooms to a project at the old 'Ewa Sugar Mill.

On Friday, city officials and private contractor CC Engineering & Construction Inc. showed some of the problems that are delaying the $2.2 million renovation of two buildings at the old 'Ewa Sugar Mill.

Two of the old plantation buildings — a warehouse and tractor/machine shop — are being renovated into storage space, but the project that was scheduled to take six months has taken twice that long because of thefts and property damage, said John Cheung, president of the private construction company.

Vandals have left the warehouse looking like a huge graffiti palette with yards and yards of colorful spray paint covering one side of the building. Pry marks near the door show how thieves got in at least once. And utility lines that have been cut dangle from a nearby pole.

Eugene Lee, director of the city Department of Design and Construction, said there have been at least eight cases of break-ins, property damage and attempted thefts on that job site.

However, "it's not something that's unique to 'Ewa; it happens all over the island," Lee said. "It costs the taxpayers money."

Lee said other projects delayed by this kind of vandalism and theft are the Makiki Library renovation and construction of restrooms at Mililani Mauka Park. The library was "trashed by vandals several weeks before renovation of the historic building was to have been completed," he said. "Now it will be months before the building can be reopened to the public."

Also, it will be months before Mililani Mauka park-goers can use the restrooms. Lee didn't have cost estimates for the damage at those facilities.

He said the 'Ewa project was to have been completed in October, but now won't be done until March at the earliest. And although there's little direct connection between citizens and new warehouse space for the city, Lee said other public services are affected.

OTHER PROJECTS HURT

In 'Ewa, the theft of electrical lines took out the sprinkler system for part of 'Ewa Mahiko Park next door, the home field for Hawai'i's 2005 World Series champion West O'ahu Little Leaguers.

When city crews are fixing damaged buildings, they aren't cutting the grass, building new centers and taking care of other community projects. Money spent on repairs is cut from other planned projects, he said.

Honolulu police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said she did not have access to a breakdown of property crimes that involved construction sites, copper thefts or city projects. But she said thefts and vandalism are reported islandwide.

"It's an ongoing problem," Yu said. As community awareness about this type of crimes has increased, so have tips from the public.

"There have been a few arrests," Yu said. And she encourages people to keep reporting what they see in the community that doesn't look right.

"As always, call 911 if you observe any suspicious behavior," she said.

Copper thieves have been responsible for at least $300,000 in damage to state freeways since May, ripping out wiring from about 100 light fixtures and leaving stretches of the road darkened in Central and West O'ahu.

STIFFER PENALTIES

A state law enforcement coalition has even proposed increasing the penalties for copper theft and for receiving the stolen material.

The proposal creates the felony offense of "theft of copper," and adds stricter requirements for the purchase of copper by scrap dealers to hold the dealers accountable for violations of mandated reporting requirements, according to the state attorney general's office.

The superintendent of the 'Ewa project, Jeffrey Durham, shakes his head over the damage there: tools that disappear, equipment disabled because thieves ripped out the hydraulic lines, siding pried off.

"From a one-night break-in, you get a two-week setback," Durham said.

The theft that pushed them to go public happened this month, when thieves cut the electricity to the project by pulling down the power lines, presumably for the copper to be sold.

Lee said the city is likely to have to pay about $15,000 to $20,000 to repair the electrical lines.

Cheung estimates the property damage has cost the company $19,500 in direct equipment expenses, but the delays cost even more. While his company will eat the cost on this project, he expects he may turn in higher bids on future city projects to cover costs to prevent these damaging delays.

"The cost will go up," he said. Cheung said he may have to hire a security guard to secure the site at night.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.