Kids as young as 12 behind crime spike
Police worry young people stealing vehicles for ram-raids could be seriously hurt
Children and teens, some as young as 12, are behind a “significant” spike in vehicle thefts, ram raids and some burglaries in the district, a local police officer says.
The officer fears a young person offending could be badly hurt or die.
Western Bay of Plenty and Waikato police are working in tandem to stem the rise in vehicle thefts in the wider Bay of Plenty and in the Waikato districts, launching Operation Pryor to target these crimes.
Since February 1, 80 offenders have been arrested and more than $100,000 of stolen goods recovered.
The Bay of Plenty Times previously reported there had been 7691 car thefts in the Bay of Plenty in the past two years.
Thieves were targeting Mazda
Demio, Nissan Tiida, Toyota Aqua, Toyota Corolla, Mazda Atenza and Subaru Legacy without alarm system or steering wheel locks.
Inspector Phil Gillbanks, Bay of Plenty police district manager for Youth, Community and Family Harm, said these vehicles were “predominantly” stolen by young people and used for joy-riding, committing aggravated burglaries of liquor stores, dairies and big retail stores.
He said a “significant number” of young people had been “apprehended” in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato districts in recent months.
“Some offenders are as young as 12, which raises major concerns for me and all police staff about the safety of these children, their passengers and the public.”
Gillbanks said he and all police staff shared a huge concern that young people committing these crimes would end up seriously hurt