Dargaville Police are making progress in investigating a recent spate of burglaries targeting local businesses.
Three arrests have been made in under a week, with Police carrying out reassurance visits to stores last week alongside the local mayor.
Whang¨¡rei-Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom says five commercial burglaries occurred in nearly two weeks.
¡°Late last week, we arrested three people over two of the recent burglaries,¡± she says.
¡°Police made two sets of arrests, the first of a 16-year-old male for a burglary at a Dargaville liquor shop.¡±
Separately, a man and woman, aged 45 and 41, have been charged in relation to the burglary of a takeaway shop.
An 18-year-old man has also been charged with receiving stolen property allegedly taken during a recent burglary of a vape store in the area.
¡°Our local staff are continuing to investigate other burglaries and locating those involved, they¡¯re following strong lines of enquiry.¡±
Inspector Nordstrom and frontline Sergeant Kiley Dalbeth accompanied the Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson on a walk through the township late last week.
¡°It¡¯s always concerning when this offending is being inflicted against our local businesses,¡± Inspector Nordstrom says.
¡°It was a beneficial afternoon all round, and we relished the opportunity to engage with the community.
¡°The staff we spoke with at local businesses were positive around the response to recent incidents.¡±
It was also an opportunity to provide prevention and wider safety advice to community members.
Inspector Nordstrom says: ¡°We will not tolerate this offending; especially given the disruption and stress it puts on those whose livelihoods have been targeted.
¡°The number of incidents occurring across the community in recent months is likely to be an exception, rather than the norm.¡±
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/51½ÖÉä
Media note: There are multple images attached to this release.
