Inspector Mike Henwood, Eastern Waikato Area Commander:

Two people are before the courts following several incidents of dishonesty offending in Thames across the last three weeks.

About 7pm last night, Thames Police responded to reports of people breaking into cars.

With the assistance of a Police dog unit from Hamilton, Police tracked and arrested two offenders nearby.

Subsequent enquiries revealed the offenders were also believed to have been involved in several recent incidents since 8 January. This includes the attempted unlawful taking of vehicles, the unlawful taking of vehicles, two burglaries, and an attempted burglary.

The 17-year-old and 18-year-old young men are due to appear before the Hamilton Youth Court today, on 11 charges related to the incidents.

This comes off the back of another recent arrest of two young people in Waihi, after they were reportedly attempting to break into motor vehicles in the early hours of yesterday morning (Tuesday 21 January). One young person aged 14 is due to appear in the Waihi District Youth Court later this week.

Eastern Waikato Police have identified an increase in dishonesty offending within the wider area over the past few weeks, which is in line with what we typically see across summer months, and have we have altered patrol patterns accordingly.

These arrests are a good step in curbing recent offending; however, we need your assistance to continue to effectively responding to the unlawful activity.

If you witness any suspicious activity, please contact Police on 111 if it’s happening now or via 105 either online or over the phone if it’s after the fact.

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