Christchurch police officers are “really struggling” with the level of youth crime in the Garden City and feel “hamstrung” in their efforts to deal with the problem, the Police Association president says.
Chris Cahill told Breakfast: “It’s a really significant issue. I just got a briefing from front line cops in Christchurch yesterday, and I’ve been around police a long time but the stories I’m hearing are really shocking me.
“These are offenders as young as 12 and 13, and they’re just showing absolutely no care for the public.
“They’re driving around, deliberately trying to knock people off their bikes at high speed in vehicles, they’re throwing objects out of stolen vehicles at them, they’re ramming police deliberately.
“Police are really struggling to deal with this recidivist group of most serious offenders.” Read more