A dedicated team targeting youth crime in Napier has seen positive results in January, with a number of arrests made.

The team was set up last month in response to an increase in stolen vehicles, fleeing driver events, and commercial burglaries, including ram raids.

Youth were identified as offenders in the majority of these incidents.

To date, six young people, aged 12 to 16, have been arrested, and a total of 21 charges laid.

These include charges relating to burglaries at Cosmic Vape, House of Swords and the Ahuriri Corner Store, along with a number of car thefts.

Work will continue outside of the court process, along with our partner agencies, looking to provide wider support to these offenders and their families with the aim of preventing re-offending.

Since these arrests, the number of vehicle thefts and commercial burglaries has significantly decreased, with vehicle thefts particularly reducing by 60 percent since the high in mid-January.

The team continues to follow positive lines of enquiry to identify further offending and offenders, with more arrests likely.

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