Police are encouraging car owners to take precautions after a spate of thefts across the wider Bay of Plenty and Waikato areas.
Photo: 123RF
The cars are predominantly stolen by young people and are being used for joy-riding, and conducting aggravated burglaries of liquor stores, suburban dairies and large retail stores.
"Some offenders are as young as 12 years old, which raises serious concerns about the safety of the child, their passengers, and the public," BOP police district manager Youth, Community, Family Harm inspector Phil Gillbanks said.
Police could not be everywhere at once and could not deter opportunistic theives on their own but were committed to actively investigating vehicle theft and holding offenders to account, he said.
"We urge people to take preventative measures in order to prevent their car from being stolen in the first place."
The cars being targeted by theives are:
- Mazda Demio
- Nissan Tiida
- Toyota Aqua
- Mazda Attenza
- Subaru Legacy
- Toyota Corolla
Police are encouraging people to park off the road, out of sight or in a secure car park, fit an alarm or immobiliser and use a steering wheel lock.
"With the public's help, police and partner agencies can continue to hold these young offenders to account, while also supporting them on a better path away from future offending."