Detective Inspector Karen Bright speaks to the media about recent ram-raid burglaries. Video / NZ Herald
Police are worried about the recent spate of ram-raids across the country and have contacted social media companies to try to quell the spiking incidents.
Counties Manukau police detective inspector Karen Bright said social media was a "motivator" for some offenders, which were mostly young people, including some as young as 11.
In the early hours of yesterday morning, Auckland's Ormiston Town Centre was the scene of a brazen ram-raid where three stolen vehicles were driven through the mall to smash into shops.
Hours later, West Auckland's GAS Kaurilands was targeted by a group of eight offenders using four stolen vehicles. However, the shop was saved by a bollard.
Meanwhile, police received reports of aggravated robberies at two West Auckland dairies earlier today - one in New Lynn around 10.40am and another in Te Atatu at 12.05pm - where stolen vehicles were believed to have been used.
"One of the real worries we have is it's a tragedy waiting to happen," she said
"We know that [the people involved] are very young, 11-14 in many cases. We have overcrowded cars in the middle of the night being driven by very young people. We are really worried."
Earlier in the month, assistant commissioner Richard Chambers said data showed 88 per cent of ram-raid offenders were under 20 years and the majority were under 17.
Social media was a motivator of offending and police had contacted social media companies, Bright said.
"We are working with them to address the content and the exposure that these videos are getting rather than identifying offenders."
Some young people were posting their exploits on social media and that was driving some of the offending.
The Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores on Auckland's Queen St, Titirangi's Scenic Dairy, Pāpāmoa Four Square and a Four Square in Thames have also been the victims of ram-raids this month.
Bright said that for some retailers, it was also their home being impacted.
"We do understand their fears and want to reassure them that we are taking this matter seriously and we are investigating all of these offences."
However, with some offenders as young as 11, Bright said a community-wide response, involving parents and families, car owners, retailers and partner agencies, was needed.
Bright said wider issues around education, family dynamics and social media could be influencing the offending.
"Our biggest worry, besides the huge harm it is doing in retail, is the effects this could have on these really young children and we want to avoid a tragedy."
Bright said retailers could install bollards, but acknowledged the cost of doing so.
Overnight a West Auckland petrol station was targeted by four vehicles, saved only by a bollard - hours after a South Auckland shopping centre was the scene of a brazen ram raid with a group of young offenders using three stolen vehicles to smash into shops in an Ormiston mall.
Police said eight offenders used four vehicles to try to access GAS Kaurilands petrol station in Titirangi last night.
"Police understand bollards at the petrol station have prevented the offenders from gaining access to the store."
The group fled from the petrol station before police arrived.
Kaurilands GAS service station owner Kanna Sharma. Photo / Adam Pearse
The owner of the petrol station, Kanna Sharma, moved from India to New Zealand in 2002 in search of a better life for himself and his whānau.
However, these incidents caused Sharma to question his decision.
"I thought New Zealand was a safe place," he said.
One man, who did not want to be identified, witnessed the entire incident as he was walking his dog yesterday evening.
He saw the four vehicles, which appeared to include two Toyota Hiluxes and two hatchbacks.
The man said the vehicles came down Atkinson Rd towards the intersection with Kaurilands Rd, where both the service station and the dairy were located.
The offenders, of which the man could see about five, reportedly checked out the dairy first before moving on to the service station.
One of the Hiluxes then proceeded to reverse into the door of the service station at least twice.
The man said an argument broke out between some of the offenders as to whether they should escape from the scene when it became clear they might not be able to gain access to the service station.
The man was surprised at how brazen the offenders were, considering how many vehicles were passing by as well as bystanders.
The man said he yelled at the offenders to stop but they ignored him, seemingly focused only on their mission.
The incident was over in about 20 minutes.
"I feel for the owners, it must be pretty disheartening," he said.
A neighbour close to the service station also watched the incident unfold and cited how fearful she was.
She said there appeared to be one offender - a man who looked to be in his 30s - marshalling the cars on the road as the ram-raid took place.
She said it had been about the third incident of that kind in recent months which had forced her to upgrade the security at her own home.
Sharma said the reinforced glass door into the service station was smashed in multiple places and one bollard had been completely broken off during the incident.
He said the service station's alarm went off about 8.30pm yesterday. He and six associates worked until 2am today to make the service station operational today.
Police are investigating both incidents and are reviewing CCTV footage.
Last night's raid attempts follow an early morning ram-raid at a Four Square in Thames on Monday.
The owner of Martina Four Square, Jaswinder Singh, was feeling "frustrated" and "sick" after his store was targeted for the fourth time since December.
Offenders smashed their way through the front of the Martina Four Square on Monday. Photo / Facebook
Around 1.20am on Monday, at least four offenders used a car to smash their way in.
Singh said the offenders tried to steal cigarettes but were unsuccessful as damaged counters blocked their way to the cabinet.
But the consequences that Singh is now facing are significant.
To replace the counter alone will cost around $16,000 he said. In the raid, the offenders damaged the Lotto counter which means Singh has not been able to sell Lotto tickets since and doesn't know when he'll be able to again.
Martina Four Square in Thames has been ram raided four times since December. Photo / Facebook
The entrance is currently boarded up and the price of repairs, a roller door and bollards could cost the landlord of the building up to $20,000, said Singh.
Singh said it was too easy for offenders to get away with what they do and rules needed to be tougher to stop the ram-raids.
"They know they can do whatever they like and they can walk away easily."
National MP Mark Mitchell said the police pursuit policy was contributing to the increase in ram raids and crime.
"They [offenders] know they can come out and commit crime and there's very little chance of them being stopped or arrested by police," Mitchell told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking.
He said the youth justice system was dealing with a "tsunami" of juvenile offending and that New Zealand has never seen the level of crime it currently is.
"So, they're released almost immediately back out on to the street and are reoffending again and the police are having to try and pick up the pieces again."
Under 18-year-olds are treated differently to adults in the criminal justice system in New Zealand.
Children aged 9 or younger would not be made responsible for crime committed but Oranga Tamariki would be notified, as stated by Youth Law.
Children aged between 10 and 13 would only be made responsible if suspected of committing or helping with murder or manslaughter.
Those aged 12 or 13 could be dealt with by the youth justice system if they are charged with a serious offence with a maximum penalty of jail for at least 14 years or have offended before, and the maximum penalty was more than 10 years but less than 14 years in jail.
Every other offence would be dealt with by Oranga Tamariki.
Youth aged between 14 and 17 can be formally charged and prosecuted for any offence.
Most offences would go through the youth justice system and offenders could be issued a warning or formal caution by the police, referred to a police youth aid for alternative action, referred to family group conferences or arrested and charged through youth court.
Serious offences like murder, manslaughter, arson, and serious offences committed by 17-year-olds are dealt with through the adult criminal courts.
"Thrill-seeking" thieves are committing increasingly brazen ram raids on Auckland shops that are in danger of becoming repeat targets for "audacious" young burglars.
CCTV image of a brazen ram raid involving three cars and 16 people at the Ormiston Town Centre in south Auckland in the early hours of April 26. Image / Newshub
The latest victim of yesterday's daring blitz says it is concerned about the increase in incidents in Auckland and is upping security following the early morning attack.
Security and cleaning staff were placed in danger as three stolen vehicles smashed into east Auckland's Ormiston Town Centre shopping centre about 1.10am yesterday, police say.
