As stated by South Taranaki Response Manager Andrew Russ:
South Taranaki Police have apprehended a number of youths responsible for recent offending in the Pātea, Hāwera and Stratford areas.
Most recently, six youths were apprehended following a fleeing driver incident in Hāwera.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Police signalled for a vehicle driving erratically to pull over. The vehicle failed to stop, and Police did not pursue.
A short time later, Police received a report of a crash nearby.
Police put cordons in place and, with the assistance of a dog unit, the youths were tracked and successfully located.
All six have been referred to youth services.
Police are committed to identifying and apprehending those responsible for causing harm in our community.
However, Police cannot be everywhere at once and we cannot deter opportunistic thieves on our own.
We urge the community to make contact if they have any information about this ongoing offending and encourage parents or families of those involved to reach out to Police to work through possible solutions.
These stolen vehicles are often used for joyriding. This raises serious concerns for the safety of the drivers, their passengers, and the public.
Police are seeking the help of vehicle owners to make their vehicles less attractive to thieves.
We strongly encourage people to take the following preventative measures to help keep their vehicles safe:
- Ensure the vehicle is locked and parked off the road, out of sight, or in secure car parking where possible
- Consider a vehicle alarm or vehicle immobiliser
- Purchase a steering wheel lock
In addition, please ensure valuables and credit cards are removed from vehicles, particularly if cars are parked in the open.
Anyone that sees suspicious activity around vehicles should call Police on 111 if it’s happening now, or 105 after the fact. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can also make a Crime Stoppers report online at www.crimestoppers-nz.org.
