Parents are being warned they can face court action after Hamilton police arrested a number of children and cautioned others following a series of incidents at the weekend.
On Friday night an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old were arrested after they were caught breaking into an industrial yard.
Another 13-year-old and a 14-year-old were arrested the same night shoplifting from an inner-city store, Hamilton City Area Commander, Inspector Rob Lindsay.
On Saturday, detectives interrupted an aggravated robbery of a child by a group of 13 and 14-year-olds outside shops in suburban Fairfield. The child was being robbed of sweets.
"There's been a number of such cases reported lately that go beyond schoolyard stand-overs or bullying. Parents and caregivers need to understand that under the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act not only can the children face court action so too can the parents," he says.
Lindsay warned parents they needed to know who their children were associating with, and if they were getting into trouble, take steps to stop the behaviours before they got more serious.
"Assistance is available from a multitude of agencies, if you need help contact your nearest Community Policing Centre where information is available," he said.
Parents did not need to feel like they were alone in dealing with these sorts of issues, he says.
