Waikato Police investigating the burglary of a Hamilton home and the on-selling of goods on social media sites are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of who their children are spending time with and what they are doing on the internet.
Hamilton City Area Commander, Inspector Hywel Jones, said the call comes after the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit’s investigation into the burglary of a Patterson St home over the period 13th-16th of December.
“Our staff discovered that a group of 12-year-olds had carried out the burglary and, thanks to a member of the public drawing it to our attention, electronics stolen from the home were being sold on a Facebook page.
“Progressing our inquiries, we discovered some property had been taken back to the victims by the parents of one offender and two of the group, who are being dealt with by Youth Aid have made admissions in relation to the offending.”
Mr Jones said Police are pleased in regards to the intervention by the parents who returned the stolen goods and there are a number of learnings to come out of the incident that other parents and caregivers could benefit from.
“First up, particularly over the holiday period where young people find themselves with too much time on their hands, we’re urging parents to ensure their children have adequate supervision and you know who they are spending time with.
“Secondly, we’re asking parents to be vigilant in terms of any electronics or other property their child may turn up with, ask the hard questions like where they got it from and make the effort to be aware of their internet activity.”
Mr Jones said such lessons were important to take on board before young people turned a corner it was hard to return from.
“In this instance early interventions will see the property returned to the victims and the young people and their families afforded the support and supervision they need to prevent further offending.”
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