One of Christchurch’s top police officers is reassuring the community that police are doing what they can when it comes to out-of-control youth crime.

It follows an escalation of youth crime reported across the city, including a spate of burglaries, car theft and ram-raids.

Residents in several Christchurch suburbs say offenders have become more brazen in their crimes, not worrying if residents are home or not.

Just this morning, youths ram-raided a liquor store in Addington.

Police Minister Labour MP and former Christchurch resident Ginny Anderson declined to be interviewed about the local issues facing the city, despite multiple requests made to her office.

Christchurch Metro Area Commander, Superintendent Lane Todd wouldn’t answer specific questions put to him by Chris Lynch Media.

Instead he issued a general statement saying youth offending is an issue that continues to be experienced throughout New Zealand, and the Canterbury region is no exception.

“Police are committed to working with our partners and communities to prevent youth offending, support victims of crime and hold young offenders to account.”

He said “police refer all youth to Youth Services for criminal offending.

Youth Services work with the young person and their family to try and prevent them committing further offences and to hold them accountable for any offence they have committed.”

Superintendent Todd said police were involved in a number of initiatives aimed at preventing youth offending and reoffending.

“We recognise that in order to prevent future generations of young people from serious harm, we need to work in a collaborative way to address the underlying causes of youth offending.”

He said “Christchurch Police provide 24/7 coverage. Police are available to respond to calls for service when and where we are needed most, especially where people are at risk.”

“The most important message for the community is to call 111 if you see something happening now, or 105 if it’s after the fact, passing on as much information as you can.”

“When people report crime or suspicious behaviour to us, we get a clearer picture of what’s happening in the community. It allows us to look at what policing activities are needed to both support victims and hold offenders to account in the courts or through other alternative resolutions.” Superintendent Todd said.

Below are some suggestions to members of the community to keep themselves and their property safe.

 

•         Ensure your vehicle is locked and parked in a garage or a well-lit area. Install an alarm system or an immobiliser if your vehicle does not already have one. 

•          Install CCTV cameras, alarm systems and sensor lights on your property, as well as deadlocks on doors and windows. Check your camera footage regularly and report any suspicious behaviour to Police immediately.

•          Joining a neighbourhood support group can be beneficial to deterring theft, as more people in your neighbourhood can keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Let your neighbours know if you are going away and keep an eye on their property if they’re away.

•          Please report all crime to Police rather than taking matters into your own hands as you could be putting yourself at risk.