Auckland crime: Alleged scooter thief caught on North Shore busway

Police in Auckland chased down an alleged scooter thief on foot after he attempted to make his escape on the Northern Busway.

Police were monitoring CCTV at the Albany Bus Station on Monday when they spotted a man hanging around the bike racks.

“A man was seen acting suspiciously around bike racks after 11.30am, when he began attempting to steal an e-scooter secured there,” Senior Sergeant C.J. Miles, Youth and Communities Manager for Waitematā East, said in a statement.

“His attempts were in vain as the owner had used a high-quality lock.”

Police then alerted Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) to the incident and it tracked the man from the bike racks to a bus heading south down the busway.

He hopped off at the Constellation station before trying his luck again, this time cutting through a lock and removing an e-scooter.

Police then liased with the Joint Transport Operations Centre, which watched on camera as the alleged thief scooted away down the Northern Busway itself.

“Our staff were soon on scene, pursuing the man on foot before he was successfully taken into custody on the busway,” Miles said.

The alleged thief was caught on foot. Photos / Michael Craig,123rf

Police said the 39-year-old man appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday on a theft charge, and will reappear next month.

Miles said police had been responding to a recent spike in incidents at some bus stations, including involving theft of valuable bikes and e-scooters.

“Police are providing increased visibility and taking the opportunity to engage with commuters,” she said.

“Our focus is to disrupt these opportunistic offenders and provide reassurance to the public while utilising the public transport network.

“In most instances, victims are securing their bike or scooter, but unfortunately these are usually not the best type of chains or locks being used, making it easy to cut,” Miles said.

“Like in the first incident at Albany yesterday, we encourage commuters to ensure they’re using a robust lock.

“The last thing anyone wants is to have their form of transport stolen.”