Maui boaters call for more security after Maalaea Harbor burglaries

MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) – Boats can be vulnerable to theft when left unattended, and boaters at Maalaea Harbor say burglaries have become a growing problem.

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The owner of the Rod Bender says someone broke into the fishing vessel Monday night, stealing about $15,000 worth of reels, rods and tools.

Captain Tim Putnam says his boat, the Musubi, was burglarized last Wednesday, forcing him to stop operating until he can replace the stolen gear.

“We lost right about $20,000 worth of our fishing gear, which is a terrible hit, obviously, right?” Putnam said.

“You know, when you can’t make money, you can’t pay your bills. So it’s super frustrating,” he said.

Captain Jordan Correa, who runs the Strike Zone, says he noticed someone had tampered with the gate leading to his boat Thursday morning.

“To have things stolen from you first thing in the morning, it’s kind of insane. It’s kind of out of control,” Correa said.

Correa and other boat operators say they pay harbor and slip fees but do not have security at the harbor overnight.

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“I don’t feel like we get surveillance or get any kind of security, you know what I mean, around. And when they start jumping on boats and they start breaking into dock boxes and they start stealing stuff. That’s wrong,” Correa said.

Correa says his crew has spent more than $10,000 securing equipment, including aluminum dock boxes with locks.

Boaters are now asking the state to provide security at the harbor, including overnight guards or cameras.

“So having some type of security would be incredible. We just need eight hours of security down there from maybe 9 o’clock at night till the four in the morning, something like that would be great. Cameras would be great,” Putnam said.

Correa says the lack of security is especially concerning for people who arrive at the harbor early in the morning.

“And it’s very, it’s hard for some of the people that go down there, right, that has to show up at 5:00 in the morning and you got people over there partying, not to mention the vandalism and the break-ins and the robberies, that’s happening,” Correa said.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources says it is aware of the situation and is working with the Maui Police Department to address the issue.

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