Police Notebook: Busy week for Rotorua's road policing unit

Car thefts, even from people's driveways, are on the rise.

Busy week for the road policing unit

Rotorua's road policing unit has taken enforcement measures on more than 130 vehicles during the past week.

Area prevention manager Inspector Brendon Keenan said it had been a busy week for them.

"It was a good week for them."

He said 93 per cent of the tickets were for the "fatal five" road offences - speed, alcohol/drug driving, lack of seat belts, high risk drivers and careless or dangerous driving.

"They are not just ticketing people for silly stuff."

A good catch

Keenan said police made a good catch of a thief who allegedly broke into SCION.

"He gained access to a building, then smashed his way through with a hammer into two other buildings."

The man allegedly stole various items including a swipe card, fuel cards and a mountain bike.

Police stopped the man on Fenton St for riding the bike without a helmet and were suspicious that the bike was "too expensive and seemed out of place".

He was then arrested on unrelated matters.

Uneventful bomb comp weekend

Rotorua police had a "pretty uneventful" weekend covering the New Zealand Bomb Comp.

"From a policing point of view there were really no issues for us," Keenan said.

"That was really good news for us over the weekend."

Keenan said the quiet weekend had followed a quiet week where they were down to 131 offences.

Arson on Old Quarry Rd

Police responded to an arson on Old Quarry Rd about 11pm Saturday night.

"It was a vacant address," Keenan said.

Neighbours heard the sound of a window being smashed and saw three people running from the scene.

Keenan said they then put out the fire which had been started in one of the property's bedrooms.

High number of stolen vehicles

Stolen vehicles are currently making up a large number of Rotorua's crimes.

"These are quite blatant thefts," Keenan said.

"Usually the vehicles have been locked, but these thieves are even taking them from people's driveways."

He said aside from locking their vehicles people could make sure they were close to the property and if possible that all gates were shut.

"It is a real trend we're noticing at the moment and that usually aligns with our common burglary locations."

Police are seeing a large number of car thefts from the Glenholme and Pukehangi area.