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Prisons on the outskirts of Christchurch are drawing families with criminal connections to the city and causing headaches for police.
They say there is a worrying trend of families with entrenched criminal behaviour and out-of-control children moving to Christchurch because of the men's, women's and youth prisons near Rolleston.
"A lot of people come to Christchurch from out of town," Inspector John Price told the Press. "They arrive, they don't have infrastructure and they're not accountable to other members of the family who might be a good influence."
The problem was typified by the gang-connected Kara family from Taranaki, he said.
The family moved to Christchurch after 14-year-old Renee Kara O'Brien was transferred to Christchurch Women's Prison to serve a life sentence for the murder of Waitara truck driver Ken Pigott.
Three years later, her younger brother, Ray Kara, 16, was involved with the unprovoked murder of Christchurch accountant Trevor Clague as he walked home.
"The Kara family is a classic case," Mr Price said. "At least up in Taranaki they had a support network. In Christchurch they don't."
He said Christchurch police were targeting the 10 worst families in the city with intensive monitoring and involving government agencies.
"We have very young children from the age of 10 who have learned behaviour about crime from their parents and older siblings. They have no clearly defined boundaries being set at home. Crime is seen as a viable option."
- NZPA
