The National Party wants to create new laws and sentences for youth offenders who commit ram raids and burglaries.

It follows the arrest of four youths in Christchurch, after they ram raided a petrol station in Nelson.

National Party Deputy Leader Nicola Willis told Chris Lynch Media that youth crime was a “really serious problem.”

She said it’s no wonder youths were committing crimes because they know they can get away with it.

“These criminals are creating victims and we need to take new crime seriously. We’re going to create a new category of youth offenders called Repeat Serious Offender and that will mean that the courts will have the option of giving these young people a large, broader and more serious range of sentences than they’re able to do at the moment.”

Willis said of National got into power it would introduce home monitoring, more sentencing to youth justice facilities.

“We’ve also proposed a new sentence and that’s of a military academy. With some of these kids are clearly completely off the rails and they’re on a fast track to Paremoremo prison.

Let’s get them into a place where they’re getting 24/7 care, where they’re getting discipline, boundaries, help with their addictions. Let’s get them back on track.”

Willis said “we think new intervention is required. It’s clear the police and the courts don’t currently have the tools and so a National government will come in and say yep, young people have some rights, but they also have responsibilities and it’s time we put the focus on that.”