Child Offenders as Young as 12 Caught in Crime Sweep
A recent police operation in Melbourne led to the arrest of numerous young offenders involved in serious crimes
Melbourne, Australia, Youth Crime, Robbery, Police
Melbourne: Recently, police in Melbourne have been busy. They arrested a bunch of kids, some as young as 12, during a week-long operation targeting youth crime.
In total, 41 people were nabbed for a series of armed robberies, car thefts, and burglaries. This all happened in the eastern and southeastern parts of the city between December 27 and January 2.
Most of those arrested were young, with ages ranging from 12 to 44. They racked up around 150 charges during this crackdown.
Some dramatic footage showed police pulling suspects from a car after a high-speed chase. The car was in pretty rough shape, with a flat tire and on fire, before it finally came to a stop surrounded by police vehicles.
One shocking incident involved a group of young men who allegedly threatened victims with a machete during a roadside robbery on December 30.
On New Year’s Eve, four boys aged 13 to 17 led police on a chase across the southeast, with officers using stopsticks to try and slow them down.
Just before Christmas, boys aged 13, 14, and 15 were arrested for over 15 armed robberies at service stations. Another group of teens, aged 15 to 17, allegedly threatened a rideshare driver on January 2.
Thanks to aerial surveillance, many of these arrests were made possible. Police were able to keep a close eye on the situation from above.
On New Year’s Day, six kids aged 12 to 19 were caught after an armed robbery in Blairgowrie. Earlier, on December 27, seven youths aged 13 to 18 tried to flee from police in a stolen car.
A group of teens aged 14 to 17 faced charges for a home invasion, along with two 16-year-olds for car thefts and street robberies.
Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Andrew McKee noted that the number of arrests in such a short time was significant.
He mentioned that many of these arrests happened at night, saying, “While you’re sleeping, police are wide-eyed.”
McKee added, “If you want to play hide and seek with us, I can guarantee you, our members will always find you.”
Recent crime stats showed that offenses by kids aged 10 to 17 have hit their highest levels in Victoria since 2009. Most of the crime was committed by teens aged 14 to 17, with first-time offenders making up a large portion of that group.
Kids aged 10 to 17 and young adults aged 18 to 24 account for nearly half of all aggravated burglary offenders in the state.