Police and the Christchurch City Council are concerned at the alarming number of parking meters which have been damaged in the city since 17 September this year.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Harvey says that force has been applied and the meters knocked over allowing access to the meter box interior and the cash taken.
"We place to increase patrols and are working closely with the Council to prevent a reoccurrence," he says. "We are also looking through CCTV footage available within the city to identify the individuals responsible."
Because of `copy cat' risk, police will not enlarge on what has been occurring.