'A real worry': Two 12-year-olds caught in group of six youths stealing cars

Friday, 29 April 2022

A group of six youths, two as young as 12, were arrested after breaking into several cars on the Kāpiti Coast overnight. (File photo).

Two children aged 12 were part of a group of six young people arrested after breaking into cars overnight on the Kāpiti Coast.

Kāpiti-Mana Area Commander Inspector Tracey Thompson said the age of those arrested – 12, 13, 15 and 16 – was a real worry and echoed recent commentary around youth crime being a wider community issue.

All six are expected to be referred to Youth Aid following the break-ins.

Police received several calls from the public between around 12:15am and 1:15am on Friday, reporting youths interfering with vehicles in the Waikanae Beach area, a spokeswoman said in a statement.

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The youths were disturbed and fled in two vehicles, which police found and spiked a short time later, one on Titoki Rd and another on Heperi St. Three fled on foot before being arrested.

“I’m aware that the recent spate of vehicle thefts is something our Kāpiti community are really concerned about,” Thompson said.

“It’s not an issue police can address alone. We need all of our whānau and community to wrap themselves around vulnerable young people to steer them towards better outcomes,” she said.

The incident comes amid rising concerns about youth crime across the country, after a string of ram raids and burglaries in Auckland, Hamilton, and Christchurch.

In Tāmaki, Auckland, ram-raiding has become an almost daily occurrence, according to the St Heliers Business Association.

Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said police needed communities and partner agencies to support young people onto a better path.

Earlier this week, Detective Inspector Karen Bright said police were working with social media companies, because many of the raids were posted on platforms such as TikTok, and it appeared social media posting was motivating the offending.

Last year, police witnessed a spike in car thefts in Wellington and Taranaki, which police believed was part of a social media trend of videos of the offending being shared on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Official Information Act figures from February revealed children, some too young to even be at school, were being apprehended by police for alleged offending.

New Zealand’s age of criminal responsibility begins at 10, and only for homicide offending until children are 14 or older, with anyone younger unable to be convicted of crimes.