Police say Rotorua gangs are recruiting children as young as 11 to steal in return for drugs and alcohol.
The gangs picked children because they easily fitted through windows and, if caught, were not likely to be punished by the law, said Detective Senior Sergeant Garry Hawkins.
His concerns were shared by Rotorua lawyer Mary-Ann McCarty, who said most of the children she was called on to represent in the courts were under the influence of drugs and alcohol when they offended.
Although their addictions were getting worse, there was no round-the-clock help for them, she said.
Mr Hawkins said it was common for gangs such as the Mongrel Mob and Black Power to recruit teenagers.
Most of them were aged between 14 and 17, but there was the odd exception as young as 11.
"They use these youngsters because they know they can't be charged," he said. "These kids then go hard-out committing burglaries to support their alcohol, drugs and glue-sniffing habits.
"They can fit through windows more easily and if they are found by the person at the house they are less likely to get the bash because they are only kids."
He knew of mothers, although not in Rotorua, who drove their children around neighbourhoods and waited in the car while they committed burglaries, Mr Hawkins said.
Rotorua police could pick up as many as 30 juveniles roaming the streets at night. They were either driven home or taken to the police cells until a parent or relative could collect them .
Mr Hawkins said the crime rate often dropped for about two weeks following such round-ups.
- NZPA
Police say gangs recruiting 11-year-olds for crime
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