The state’s 2024 solve rates of violent crime rose slightly from 2023 to 40%. But it’s still below the national average.
When sectioned out by offense, the state made slight improvements in solving robbery and aggravated assault cases. However, solve rates for homicide cases dropped dramatically from 91% in 2023 to just 50% in 2024.
Hawaiʻi Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Justice Division Michelle Puʻu outlined some of the issues in solving cases.
“ Our law enforcement, we don't have enough detectives. We don't have enough patrol officers to support those detectives. We don't have enough crime scene analysts. We don't have enough lab analysts, that means the DNA analysts,” she told lawmakers.
“We don't have enough lab equipment. Our lab equipment is not sophisticated enough to detect all sorts of drug analysis. Our labs are incapable of testing alcohol in certain samples. Very basic things that we are incapable of doing right now in our existing laboratories.”
The state Department of Law Enforcement is working on the construction of an alcohol-blood testing lab.
Another issue is that experienced detectives leave their positions, returning to patrol units — usually due to higher pay because of the increased overtime opportunities.
Puʻu added that there aren’t enough incentives for detectives to stay in positions where they are working on difficult investigations that can easily lead to burnout.
