‘Dishonesty’ crime continues
A burnt out vehicle in a Kaiapoi street is an unusual addition to a recent spate of vehicle thefts, break-ins and burglaries in the town. The Kaiapoi Fire Brigade were given an early start to an overall ’’steady’’ weekend when called to a vehicle fire on Cass St in the small hours of Friday morning. Chief fire officer Tim Reynolds said one crew was called to an address where about half an hour was spent extinguishing the blaze.
‘‘The fire was treated as suspicious and left in the hands of police.’’
Acting Senior Sergeant Rob Irvine said the car had been stolen from another Kaiapoi address before being burnt out. Police were speaking with a number of young people who were possibly also involved in its burning.
‘‘It’s more than likely the people who stole it or their associates [who burnt the car], and they’re more than likely youths from the Kaiapoi area.’’
Detective Sergeant Rex Barnett said burnt out vehicles around the district were generally found on local river beds, much like the white four-wheel-drive spotted at the Ashley River about two weeks ago.
‘‘Some of these vehicles are stolen from town and brought out here to either the Waimakariri River bed or the Ashley and set on fire,’’ Barnett said.
‘‘They don’t usually end up in streets like Cass St.’’
He said he had not seen a particular increase in burnt out vehicles recently, but it was always an ‘‘ongoing issue’’ at the districts’ rivers.
Two other calls for the Kaiapoi crew were made over the weekend to a fire in Beach Rd, between Kaiapoi and Pine’s Beach, Reynolds said.
‘‘We had two crews from Kaiapoi and two crews from Pine’s Beach attend two hay bales on fire, which was threatening a hay shed. The crews were able to maintain the fire just to the hay bales.’’
The cause was still unknown for the hay bale fire.
Irvine said the spike in thefts, break-ins and burglaries was cause for residents to be vigilant and report anything suspicious they see in their area.
‘‘We have had a recent spate of those dishonesty-type offences occurring around Kaiapoi.’’
Any information can be provided to the police by calling the Kaiapoi Police Station on (03) 371 8040 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.