HONOLULU (KHON2) — Police say the McCully police-involved shooting on Monday started out as a robbery.

Community advocates tell KHON that type of crime is just one of many they are hearing more and more about, and something needs to change.

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“What I’m seeing is very visual, and then you see every day, a new post about somebody can robbed or hit or burglarized,” said Michael Kitchens, Stolen Stuff Hawaii Administrator. “You know that just that rings alarm bells and we’re seeing it more and more.”

He said many in the Stolen Stuff community are on alert.

“I asked my community, how do you guys feel and there is an overwhelming amount of people saying it’s worse crime is much more brazen it’s there’s more violence.”

Michael Kitchens, Stolen Stuff Hawaii Administrator

It is not just the local online community noticing, but local neighborhood boards as well.

“It’s certainly a concern, and from my neighbors what my neighbors told me and what I hear is there is certainly a perception that both violent and non violent crime seems to be going up,” said Patrick Smith, Chair Neighborhood Board Nuuanu, Punchbowl.

Smith said their neighborhood board is asking people to stay vigilant.

“We have a lot of concerned folks in our neighborhoods that partake in the community watch,” said Smith. “There seems to be numerous reports of people casing neighborhoods, so to speak and just driving around. And that really entails photographing areas, and sometimes people going on properties.”

Both Smith and Kitchens say HPD is doing what it can to crackdown on crime, but Kitchens said more needs to be done to deter criminals in the first place.

“I have the feeling that because of this perfect storm of the pandemic, and the weakened judicial system that criminals just feel like they’re not going to get punished,” said Kitchens. “We really would like them to listen to us, and know that we need laws changed, we need stronger laws. We need to build the ability to protect ourselves.”