The youth crackdown comes as the Government proposes tougher sentencing laws. Photo / Michael Craig
More than 120 young people have been arrested in the past three months for crimes like smash-and-grabs, ram-raids and being in stolen cars after a police crackdown on youth crime.
The youngest was aged just 10 and allegedly involved in crime in West Auckland, while an 11-year-old was caught in South Auckland after allegedly breaking into a vape store at 1.30am on a school night.
This week police also arrested three teens following a violent jewellery store robbery in Papatoetoe where the owner required skull surgery after being hit in the head with a hammer while trying to defend his store.
One of those teens was a 15-year-old who police say was also involved in two aggravated robberies and an aggravated burglary in Auckland earlier this month.
The recent arrests, all made public by police, come as the Government is trying to get tough on crime – and the sentences handed down once the people have been through the system.
Between April 1 and June, police issued media releases detailing 121 youth arrests around the country for offences ranging from motor vehicle theft to aggravated robbery and a bomb threat in Napier.
Some of these young people will face charges in either the Youth or the District Court while others will be referred to youth justice and Oranga Tamariki for family group conferences.
Of those arrests, 41 related to aggravated robberies committed while store owners were present while 23 were for burglaries after hours.
Notably, just over a third were aged 14 years or younger with two incidents involving 11-year-olds — one of whom broke into a vape store by smashing the window in the early hours of a Tuesday.
Other significant arrests include 10 young people who were caught as part of Operation Haumaru, launched after a spate of aggravated robberies across malls and bus stations in West Auckland. The youngest of the group was 10.
This week the Government announced tougher sentencing laws and the introduction of a serious young offender category to ensure victims are prioritised.
It comes as many young offenders responsible for a wave of smash and grabs around New Zealand in 2022 have recently been sentenced in court. Some have received discounts on their sentences for youth, history and early guilty pleas.
One example is Cyprus Buchanan, who was part of a group that carried out a smash-and-grab at Michael Hill Jeweller in Bayfair Shopping Centre, Tauranga. Nearly $280,000 worth of jewellery was stolen.
The judge adopted a starting point of six years imprisonment, applying a 25% discount for a guilty plea, a further 20% for his young age, 10% for his background and 5% for remorse.
With a discount totalling 60%, the end sentence arrived at two years and four months imprisonment.
Under the new sentencing reforms announced this week, the Government is capping discounts at 40%, which means a 17-year-old in similar circumstances will face a minimum imprisonment sentence of three-and-a-half years, with no option for home detention.
Discounts will also be prevented for repeat youth offenders as well as a sliding discount scale for an early guilty plea.
The newly announced Young Serious Offender (YSO) category will apply to offenders aged 10 to 17 who have committed a serious offence such as a ram-raid, other aggravated burglary, or serious assault at least twice.
Consequences will include being sent to a young offender military academy, electronic monitoring, or being subject to an intensive supervision order in their community.
The Government has said judges will be able to exercise discretion to ensure sentences are not manifestly unjust.
It is not clear when the reforms are expected to be implemented.
Jarrod Griffin, a criminal barrister, mental health lawyer and court-appointed youth advocate, said he had clients as young as 12 on his books and believed investment into re-education and support of caregivers was needed.
“The uptake in serious youth crime is concerning and it largely appears to be serious dishonesty and violence where we see youth as young as 10 and 11 being led astray by their cousins or older brother as a result of idle hands, boredom and seeking notoriety.
“There are opposing views on the merits of military-style boot camps but with only 10 places reserved, and the risk criteria being quite high, we may not see enough reach and it’s not the answer,” Griffin told NZME.
Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said the issue with youth offenders targeting retail is a deep-rooted problem with many factors.
“It comes down to environment, a safe home, family support, education and whether they are getting the basics.
“For many, this is their bread and butter and they are often instructed by a higher chain of command within the criminal world,” she said.
Young pointed out that although fog cannons have provided some assistance, they have limitations, as videos reveal thieves can be in and out within 45 seconds, often before the fog can disperse.
“They know what they’re doing, they have often watched the store and are waiting until the end of the day when shops are closing to commit the crime.”
Young emphasised the importance of vigilance regarding who enters and exits the store and said good customer service was a critical starting point.
“Theft is the gateway crime into ramraids. When people are greeted immediately at the door and asked if they can be assisted they are less likely to commit a theft and will leave.”
Young expressed her cautious optimism about the effectiveness of boot camps, acknowledging time will tell if they succeed.
Inspector Kirsten Evans, police manager of rangatahi prevention, said that following a 10-year decline in youth offending, numbers began to increase after Covid.
“Generally speaking, it is a smaller cohort of youth committing multiple offences.
“Youth offending is usually driven by a combination of young people being exposed to a negative home environment, disengagement from schooling and their communities, the monetary gain from stealing certain goods, and the use of social media.”
In a recent youth justice summary report released by the Ministry of Justice, 87% of young people referred to youth justice had a previous care and protection report of concern.
“Police and Oranga Tamariki work closely together with social service providers to ensure the immediate needs of the child/young person and their whānau are addressed,” Evans said.
“Police also work in partnership with Oranga Tamariki through the Fast Track programme, focused on serious and persistent young offenders, holding them to account and preventing further offending.”
The programme is aimed at children aged 10-13 and some young people aged 14-17, who commit serious offences or continue to reoffend at a high rate and need a more intensive, wrap-around approach.
The programme is now under way in the Northland, Auckland City, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Southern and Canterbury police districts.
“These are complex social issues and police cannot solve them alone,” Evans said.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
The man then went on to kick a police officer while being walked to a patrol car.