13-year-old labelled 'one-man crime wave' by police

Whangarei police say they have been plagued by an adolescent "one-man crime wave" that the youth justice system is unable to stem.

Detective Sergeant Mike Blowers said a 13-year-old had admitted 12 burglaries and stealing four vehicles in the past couple of months.

Police searched the boy's Tikipunga house after his younger brother, aged 12, was implicated in two house burglaries earlier this month.

The younger boy admitted the charges and was referred to Youth Aid. The boys' father was charged with one count of receiving stolen goods, after allegedly trying to use vouchers the younger boy had taken.

The father agreed to bring both boys in for police questioning last week.

Mr Blowers said the older boy admitted to committing a number of burglaries in Tikipunga, and then in Onerahi, where he had been placed in care.

"He'd take anything that was worth something. He was even targeting places where people were still in the house," Mr Blowers said.

The boy said he had been selling the gear to receivers in Whangarei.

The boy also admitted taking three vehicles from a carpark, and another from one of the burgled houses.

The youth has been referred to the police Youth Aid section and a family group conference had been scheduled this week.

However, Mr Blowers said the boy on Saturday ran away from the Pipiwai home where he was placed in Child Youth and Family (CYF) custody.

He was caught again on Sunday after allegedly stealing a quad bike.

He was returned to the CYF home but escaped again on Monday afternoon, and was believed to be in Auckland yesterday.

"There's a number of well-known youngsters out there doing this sort of thing that we can't do much about. We don't mind chasing them again, but it sometimes feels like you're chasing your tail," Mr Blowers said.

Exasperation among police officers over repeat youth offending is becoming a national issue, according to an article in the Police Association's recent publication of Police News.

The article claims children aged 10-16 are responsible for almost one in four crimes nationally.

With only 30 "care and protection" beds nationwide, youth offenders often ended up in overcrowded remand cells, the report stated.

Three youth offender facilities are currently under construction, which will bring the total to seven, but police say they will be insufficient.

However police national manager of youth services Superintendent Steve Christian said the article showed only one side of the story.

The fact that the number of youth apprehensions had remained steady despite a growing youth population showed the youth justice system was working, he said.

Justice Ministry figures show arrests of under 17-year-olds have increased more than 40 per cent in the last decade, from 32,457 in 1991 to 45,522 in 2000.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)