Honolulu store owners say thieves are targeting cans of Spam

HONOLULU (AP) — Cans of Spam have become a common item that’s being stolen from Honolulu stores and then sold on the streets for quick cash, according to authorities.

Ra Long, who owns a convenience store in the city, said shoplifters have typically targeted alcohol in the past, but recently more cans of Spam have gone missing, Hawaii News Now reported.

“I mean you try to keep an eye on it, but if they run, you just can’t leave the counter and chase them,” Long said. “So you just got to take the hit.”

Honolulu police said they took a report of a man lifting a case of the canned meat from a store earlier this month.

Kimo Carvalho, a spokesman for the Institute for Human Services, said people are stealing Spam because it’s easy to sell. “It’s quick cash for quick drug money,” Carvalho said.

It’s not only Spam they’re selling, but often clothing and toiletries are peddled on the streets, Carvalho said. It’s becoming such an issue that the homeless service provider has limited what clients are allowed to take from it, he said.