Please attribute to Metro Commander, Christchurch Superintendent Lane Todd
Christchurch Police have today arrested three youths in relation to the vehicle incident on Centaurus Rd on Tuesday 25 October where a cyclist was seriously injured. Police are following positive lines of inquiry as they actively search for a fourth offender in relation to this collision.
No other incidents in relation to youth offending were reported in the city overnight, however Police continue to focus on preventing offending, whether car theft, traffic offences, burglaries and/or assaults, holding those responsible to account, and placing them before the Courts where possible.
The drivers of offending are often numerous and very complex, and the best solutions require multiple agencies, including Police, to work together to find alternative resolutions.
Police are supporting its partners, Oranga Tāmariki and the Ministry of Justice, as they work to address the drivers of this offending by young people. Police’s role is very clear: we have an obligation to the community, and we will respond, investigate, apprehend, and hold people to account.
Interactions with these young people indicate that the vast majority have been involved in some form of family harm and it is almost certain many have been exposed to violence from a young age, as either victims or witnesses.
There continues to be a small portion of young people repeatedly offending and inflicting a large amount of harm, often at more than one location.
Their motivation continues to be money, peer pressure and/or social media fame. Many are not engaged in education and attendance at school is irregular or difficult to determine.
Police continue to ask the community to make contact if they have any information about this ongoing offending and encourage parents or families of those involved to reach out to Police and work through possible solutions to help break the cycle of offending.
Police would also like to highlight again that the vehicles most commonly being stolen are Toyota Aqua, Nissan Tiida, Mazda Demio and Mazda Atenza.
Owners of these vehicles are asked to take extra precautions to keep their vehicles safe. This includes simple things such as purchasing a steering wheel lock, removing valuable items, locking your vehicle and parking it in a garage or driveway. If people need support around this, please contact your local Police station for further advice.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre