Seven youths have been arrested after they allegedly fled from police in a stolen car.
The arrests are the latest in a series of incidents involving youths stealing cars across Christchurch.
The Herald understands police saw several youths in a stolen car in Christchurch early on Thursday morning.
The car failed to stop for police and was later abandoned. Police eventually arrested seven youths aged between 12 and 13 in relation to the incident.
A police spokesman confirmed to the Herald police saw a vehicle of interest on Eastern Terrace about 2.30am on Thursday. Police activated their lights and sirens, however the car continued. Police did not pursue.
The stolen vehicle was located abandoned on Malcolm Ave a short time later.
“Cordons were put in place around the immediate area, and with the assistance of the Police Dog Unit the youths were tracked and located, and they were taken into custody.”
Three youths were due to appear in Christchurch Youth Court today. The remaining youths were referred to youth services.
“Drivers who choose not to pull over for police when instructed put themselves, police staff, and the public at risk, luckily in this case no one was injured,” Christchurch metro area commander Superintendent Lane Todd said.
“If you see any unlawful activity including dangerous driving behaviour please contact Police on 111 If it’s happening now or 105 if it’s after the fact.”
The Herald earlier revealed children as young as 9 were behind a series of car thefts and burglaries in the city.
A police source earlier told the Herald that staff were seeing a “continual drop in age” in youth offenders.
“I think that’s a very concerning aspect because for us it’s now dropping very strongly into that non-prosecutable group and that’s causing us headaches because we can’t bring any control to that, we can’t bring any meaningful accountability.
“There is still the activeness of the higher age level which just continues on as it always has, but this younger group what we are seeing is just that repetitive nature of their offending because they’re getting caught, they’re getting returned home and they’re out and gone within hours and back into the offending.”
Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
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