Strange ways offenders turned the tables and stole police cars
POLICE are still investigating stolen cop car incidents stretching as far back as 2018.
Data released under the Official Information Act showed five police vehicles, all Holden Commodores, have been pinched since the start of 2018.
When asked about the outcomes for police staff involved, police fleet manager Rob Morgan said all cases were ongoing and further details were withheld.
In September 2018, a handcuffed youth offender at the Auckland Airport police station allegedly stole a police car, drove it through a closed roller door and fled across the city.
In August last year, Hori Gemmell in Gore stole a police car and two Glock pistols after an officer left the keys in the ignition.
A key to the car firearm safe was on the same ring as the car key.
Gemmell went on the run and sold one pistol to a friend for $1500.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority said at the time of the incident, no specific policy required officers to remove ignition keys when leaving a police car unoccupied.
In Auckland last December, police pulled over awoman who’d been riding amotorbike.
She then locked herself in the police car before driving off with it.
In April, Malcolm Wallace in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, got his legs through handcuffs, and contorted himself to successfully climb into a police car driver’s seat, lock the doors, and speed off.
In August, a Christchurch woman who objected to being breath-tested climbed into a police car’s front seat and drove off, colliding with several parked cars before coming to a halt.
Braydon Lenihan, a police operations manager, told Police
News in
September that patrol car thefts were rare in the greater scheme of things.
‘‘There are already videos and instructions out there for this, but we will be looking to provide a reminder to staff to bring it back to the forefront of their
minds,’’ Lenihan said.
Police News said police often want to leave car engines running, such as to keep lights and radios on, and existing Commodore patrol car models can be locked with the engine running.