"Old fashioned" policing is being used at Onerahi to try to turn at-risk young people away from a potential life of crime.
Onerahi community police officer Constable Spence Penney last week had six youths aged 14-16 painting over graffiti and cleaning up flowerbeds and litter to make amends for earlier misdeeds in the suburb.
Mr Penney said the youths had all got into trouble for petty offences including stealing from Onerahi Super Liquor, graffiti, shoplifting and unlawfully taking a car.
In order to give the youths "one last chance" and hopefully prevent them slipping into a life of crime, Mr Penney decided to make them work to pay for their indiscretions.
He spoke to the victims of the youths' actions and they were right behind the idea, which he described as "good old-fashioned policing".
"The complainants were happy for this to happen. I felt it's better for the community to see these guys who have been doing wrong to be working to put something back in," Mr Penney said.
"It gives them the chance to right their wrongs. It also saves them getting criminal convictions at such a young age. But they only get one chance at this - offend again and they will be going through the justice system."
Onerahi Super Liquor owner Garry Hoare said the clean-up gave the youths the chance to think about the direction their lives were taking.
"If we just pushed them straight through court it may not give them the opportunity where they will be held to account for their actions.
In today's environment of CCTV cameras and security systems people will get caught [shoplifting]. These are young lads so let's give them a chance, but if they blow it, next time they'll go to court."
Youths come clean to avoid courtroom
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