Lazy Rotorua parents are leaving children in cars while they shop in the city or play pokies, prompting a police and Neighbourhood Support crackdown.
Within 20 minutes four cars with unsupervised children in the back were spotted by Neighbourhood Support staff and volunteers.
Neighbourhood Support office manager Janette Brown said she and volunteers were walking the inner-city streets this week carrying out the Beat The Thief campaign, where they leave leaflets on windscreens of cars that are found unlocked or with visible valuables. But instead their attention became focused on the staggering amount of children left sitting alone in cars.
Ms Brown said she rang the police who spoke to the parents when they returned.
She said the problem became worse during school holidays and often a reminder about the dangers from a police officer was enough to embarrass parents not to do it again.
"Don't get me wrong, I can see how parents get stressed out but there are too many kids out there in cars alone. What if someone was to pinch the car?."
Senior Sergeant Brent Crowe said leaving children in cars was an offence, known as leaving children under the age of 14 unsupervised, and carried a maximum fine of $2000.
"I wouldn't leave my kids in a vehicle any longer than it takes to gas up your car and go inside and pay. Even then I would be watching over my shoulder constantly to make sure they are okay."
Mr Crowe said there were so many dangers, including someone taking your children, the child releasing the handbrake or starting the vehicle, playing with the cigarette lighter or leaving the car and wandering off.
He said police and Neighbourhood Support would be cracking down on parents during the school holidays, despite common beliefs that it was okay to leave children in cars when they were young.
"I don't accept that argument. The world has changed from 20 or 30 years ago. It's a matter of doing what is appropriate now, not what was done in the past."
Rotorua Rockshop manager Daryl Cogger said he had rung police in the past when a car outside his Hinemoa St shop had been there for longer than a hour with children under 3 in it. Their mother was next door playing poker machines.
Gemtime Jeweller employee Marlene Metcalfe said staff often rang police or went to the City Focus police officers with concerns about children in cars while their parents were in nearby pokie bars.
The Daily Post found two cars within half an hour where children had been left alone.
One in Hinemoa St had children aged 11, 3 and 2. Their mother was in the shop directly opposite, dropping off her daughter at a craft class.
"It was only for a short time and it would be too hard to get them all out," she said.
Another car, also parked in Hinemoa St, had two boys aged 7 and 2 inside.
The Daily Post waved down a passing police officer after the children had been alone for 13 minutes. Their mother immediately arrived.
The police officer took her details and warned her about leaving children alone in cars.
In June last year a Rotorua man left a baby in a car while he went into a Te Ngae Rd medical clinic.
The car was stolen with the infant inside.
It was found after a massive police hunt, in a Pak'N Save staff carpark.
Meanwhile, two 7-year-old cousins who were dropped off by a parent at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre were sent home with a friend of the family because they didn't have adult supervision.
The operations manager, Colin Elstob said all children under 8 had to have a supervisor who is over 16.
He said the problem of unsupervised young children generally occurred during school holidays.
Children left alone in cars
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