Teen-agers involved in organised crime

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33944, 10 September 1975, Page 18

Teen-agers involved in organised crime

1 By

PAUL RANSLEY)

Some teen-agers in Christchurch are becoming deeply involved in organised crime, specially burglary, and the authorities are disturbed by the skill with which they commit these offences.

Sources have revealed to “The Press" that many of the offenders, often as young as 14 or 15. are becoming involved in crime under the influence of older people, who are using them as easily-dispensible pawns.

There is big, and easy, ! money to be made from burglaries, the proceeds of which are squandered in hotels or used to t finance a drug habit. It is believed that some < of the young people arei pushed into organised crime to help pay off a drug debt.!' The thieves are using ren-: ta) cars, obtained with false]' or stolen driver’s licences, to,, commit their offences, and it]| has been suggested that they] work wtih the knowledge •] that if they are apprehended • ! by the police, they will have), top-notch legal advice to de-, fend them in court. In some cases which re-1 centlv appeared before the t courts the “take” from these n crimes has added up to thou-) sands of dollars. 1

Immediate cash A highly-organised receiving operation is thought to be working in Christchurch. This guarantees the youngsters immediate monev for their goods, which are soon disposed of, and which are likely to appear later in places as far away as Auckland. The number of young people involved in organised crime in Christchurch is, at] the moment, small, but many: people are concerned about] what they see as a growing] problem. They are concerned that i» is the young people, and not] the organisers, who are appearing in court. They lay; the blame at the door of parents who do not care] enough about their children to take an interest in them. A Christchurch magistrate. Mr W. F. Brown, said that well-planned professional burglaries, and other crimes bv adolescents, had reached epidemic proportions in Christchurch when he sentenced a boy aged 15 to Borstal training on nine charges of burglary, and three of theft. last week. He said that during the last few weeks he had committed a number of offenders, from the Young Persons’ Court to the Magistrate’s] Court for sentence because; of the serious nature of their] crimes. On Monday he sentenced] a 16-year-old who appeared] on seven charges of burglary,] and four of theft, to Borstal.] Grave problem In an interview on Monday. Mr Brown said that professional crime by adolescents was a grave problem which concerned the city. “Adolescents who commit] burglaries are showing con-: siderable skill, and I am con-] cemed about this element of] professionalism.” he said. He thought that they were] getting schooling from somewhere. “They must know where the colour television sets are before they steal them, and I have a suspicion that some of these young fellows are being used by older people who are providing the outlets for stolen goods. “There must be an organise receiving outfit, because

you can’t get rid of. a colour television set in a bar.” Mr Brown said that he was appalled that more and more offenders were committing multiple burglaries, particu'arly during the last month. “I can't see it getting any ' better, and I am very concerned. “One thing that makes it easier for the teen-ager is; 'his mobility, and the availability of cars, and motori cycles.” He said that a lot of the [offenders had a poor home I life. “They either come from a j broken home, or from a very ] unhappy home. Their parents : have not spent any time with 1 them, and in some cases they )ave been dragged up.” Television was also a factor which demonstrated to them how easy it was to com]mit a crime, he said. “I firmly believe that a bad home life is the ultimate.

cause of young people get-; ting into trouble,” he said. “If you go around the golf i ; clubs, and hotels, at the week-! ; end. it makes you wonder [ I what the children are doing while their parents are away. “Some parents don’t, spend [enough time with z their ! children, and they are not ]getting to know them.” ; Mr Brown also believes [that. alcohol, and drugs, are ia big factor leading to crime. “We are getting quite a lot jof cases of 16-year-olds being found in bars.” He says that some of the [burglaries are carried out to |buv drugs. : The officer in charge of the ] Police youth aid section (SerIgeant R. M. Loader) said that some adolescents were well lorganised, and worked in [groups, but that a lot of the offences occurred on the spur] of the moment. “Most of them are just] going through the process of]

growing up, and are doing stupid things,” he said. "Only about half of the children and young persons (handled by the police youth [aid section actually appear 'before the court. The rest are referred to the appropriate person or agency in the com[munity which can look at (their particular problem.” ' Sergeant Loader believes that television plays an important part in teaching them some of the organised groups tricks of the trade. He would not be surprised if older persons were behind some of the offences. In some places it goes back to the home, and some people need to be taught to be parents.” Bad parents “A lot of the kids who are causing the problems have] parents who don’t know howl to look after them, or don’t' care, and haven’t taken an] active interest in their up-1 bringing. “They don’t show their; [children how to use their! [leisure time, and the kids Ihave never been successful! at anything.” He says that the young people who are committing the offences come from all sections of Christchurch society. “Often it is a case of simple lack of communication between children and their parents. Neither party lis willing to listen, and the kids drift into criminal circles.”

Sergeant Loader would also like to see an education programme introduced aimed at highlighting the use, and abuse, of alcohol and drugs, which are far more accessible to'the young person today. Misfits One social worker says 'that the young offenders are i basically misfits in society, land are trying to survive in a world outside the way most people live. “They have no loyalty to I the system, because the system has no loyalty to them. “Most of them are away from home, and have no means of support because they can’t get a job or the dole, so they are forced to live in a different life style, and to adapt to it.” “They have no sense of • security, and are socially and ] economically retarded. Their (strongest force is their peer group, which is a sub-culture :in itself.” ; She believes the only way Ito stop adolescent crime is to catch the organisers, and I the drug suppliers.