Quick-hit thieves burglarized 85 Mililani homes on 50 different streets in the past six weeks, causing police to increase patrols in the community's lower town.

Police asked residents to report any suspicious activity, since most of the burglaries occurred during the day.

"We've had several cases where neighbors saw something that looked suspicious and didn't call 911," said police Detective Randall Borges, the lead investigator in the Mililani burglaries. "We'd rather they call 911 and let us determine if it was important or not.

"The pattern is they find a nook-and-cranny street, get in and out of the house quickly, targeting only money and jewelry.

"This is alarming, a severe problem, something off the chart and not your normal (criminal) function," Borges said. "We usually see up-and-down fluctuations but not this huge a spike at one time."

Statistics for police District 2, which includes the communities of Mililani, Kunia, Wahiawa, Whitmore, Waialua and Hale'iwa, show just 744 burglaries for all of last year, making the recent rash even more noteworthy.

During the holidays, residents should be even more alert to suspicious activities because burglars often target homes looking for Christmas gifts and cash.

Ninety-seven percent of the entries into homes have occurred by removing glass louvers, Borges said.

Police suspect a group of young men, possibly five or six, are responsible for the break-ins.

"They're bold, sometimes knocking on doors to see if anyone is at home," Borges said. "When someone answers, they'll ask for a fictitious person and move on."

Except for eight homes on Ka'opua Loop, six each on Kaname'e Street and Makapipipi Place, and three on Kamalei Street, the burglaries have been spread out on different streets.

Richard Poirier, chairman of the Mililani/Waipi'o/Melemanu Neighborhood Board, was not aware of the rash of burglaries since his board is recessed this month. Poirier's home on Naholoholo Street, however, was recently burglarized.

"They came through the louvers," said Poirier, who noted that it's the fourth or fifth time his home has been burglarized in the 10 years he has lived in Mililani. "Burglaries are prevalent. It happens. There's not much we can do because I'm not going to be a recluse by changing my windows. It's almost an occupational hazard."

Since cleaning away the brush behind his home and getting rid of his window louvers, Poirier's neighbor, "George" Wampler, said the house he moved into four years ago has not been burglarized.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.