by North » Fri Oct 14, 2016 8:26 pm
Stumbled across a website with crime stats for Honolulu and it made me wonder if the governor needed to be fact checked when he said, (paraphrasing) "I'm on record saying appointing McGarrett was one of my best decisions". Here are some facts;
During McG's 12 year reign the population rose about 20-25% but violent crime increased 500% and property crime increased about 250%
More specifically murder increased 400%, rape 900%, armed robbery 1,200%, burglary 300%, theft-larceny 300% and the only respectable one, car theft only increased 20%
It's a wonder he didn't get shown the door!
by H50 1.0 FOREVER » Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:42 amYou're comparing television's McGarrett with real life's growth and crime statistics? Is that not like comparing apples to oranges?
by ringfire211 » Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:36 amWhatever crime (or rise in crime) there was in Hawaii I'm sure it was negligible compared to what was depicted on the show. Practically every other episode featured some sort of gangster or mob figure dividing up the territory (how much territory was there???) or some psycho or wackjob killing people. Our guys barely closed down the Vashon crime family when all of a sudden we have Manola, king of the rackets. Oh and Charlie Walters, who's in a turf war with Shibata. Then there's the Vidalgos, Shako and his sons. And William Spear and his blackmail racket. And Piro Manoa with his connections to Bryce Halsey. And that's just season 5. If you didn't know any better you would have thought this was the Big Apple instead of an island in the Pacific.
by North » Mon Oct 17, 2016 1:01 pmI brought it up in a humorous (i tried anyway) way but it actually was part of the appeal of H5O and the many other cop shows of the era. the huge population bubble of baby boomers hitting prime crime age (18-30) along with the drug culture led to the late 60's into the 70's seeing exploding crime stats. Current race riots in some cities not withstanding we live in an era of low crime primarily related to our aging population. Part of the appeal of these cop shows was that back then we were looking for comfort in the face of skyrocketing crime and violence.
Hawaii in particular was experiencing huge crime increases, if you set the starting point for my stats to 1958 instead of 1968 then the 22 year increases are even greater, as in 5 to 10 fold greater. You pick this up in H5O with the resentment of the natives (I don't mean ethnically, just long timers) towards all the influx of new people, young people in particular and hippies especially. They brought drugs and other vices to Hawaii in the 60's that sent crime rates skyward.
I do agree that the show stretched reality with its portrayal of major crime syndicates. I can't recall which episode it is but one stands out in particular, a British accented mobster brings together and proposes a common front with him as the king pin. He uses transparent layovers on maps to show the existing territories which included parts of the islands that even today probably have a population of a few thousand max! and then lays over his proposed division of territory which includes entirely forest and mountain ranges! Dealing drugs on hiking trails I guess?
by ringfire211 » Tue Oct 18, 2016 7:50 amThat episode was "A Gun for McGarrett" from season 7 (a top 5 for me for that season) with the very cultured and aging British mobster Savage (played by Ivor Barry). He calls in all the local mobsters who control the various territories and basically makes them an offer they can't refuse. One of them who stands up to Savage is later found dead floating in his pool. Great episode! Also of note is the house where Savage stayed and held his meetings is located on Hanapepe Loop on Koko Head right against the ocean. I used to know the house number but don't remember what it is now.
by North » Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:46 amThat road was also featured in Season 1's "one for the money", there were only a few houses at the time, they never should have developed that side of Koko Head but then that could be said of so much of Oahu!
by ringfire211 » Wed Oct 19, 2016 10:23 amInteresting. You may have something there re: "One for the Money". I wonder if this is where the first victim found in the garage lived. I'll have to check out the episode again. But from memory it does seem like the area.
by North » Wed Oct 19, 2016 11:36 amIt is, if you watch the killer drive up in his yellow Cutlass convertible to the house of the lady with the red Cougar you can then go to google maps and find the original homes that are still there, so many trees now but there are a few with unique roof designs.
Funny when I watch the season one episode how its surprising that they would build such modest (ordinary small subdevelopment tract homes) and cheaply built houses on the ocean front in Honolulu!
by H50 1.0 FOREVER » Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:08 pmYes. At the tip of Portlock Point. The house was also seen in "Bait Once, Bait Twice" (Season 4). It's where Betty Landers (Loretta Swit) lived and helped McGarrett trap Mariss (James Olsen), the crooked lawyer.
by Steven from Miami » Fri Nov 25, 2016 8:30 amConsidering how high the crime rate was during the course of the 1970s--thanks to those plentiful and drug-addled Baby Boomers--McGarrett did a heckuva job taking down many a street punk, to say nothing of the international inteigue-related crooks he took down.
Nah, McGarrett did just fine.