Aggravated Robbers Warned – Severe Penalties Regardless of AgePolice are warning aggravated group robberies like the one targeting Invercargill’s Collingwood Dairy convenience store in the wee hours of Monday, 24 March, are taken “incredibly seriously” and, regardless of age, those responsible will suffer the consequences.Police have now arrested four young people, aged between 15 and 16, who are facing aggravated robbery charges after the robbery around 3.30am when very shaken staff were allegedly confronted with knives and a tyre iron by four young people.They targeted cigarettes and tobacco, fleeing in a vehicle from the North Road store.Police acted swiftly and Harvey says they were very grateful for the response from the public with information that helped with the investigation.“The penalties for this high-level offending and using weapons are severe and they will be treated very seriously,” Harvey says. Some people don’t seem to understand that this is not an everyday offence, and age won’t get them off the hook, he says.“Even if they’re kids this is treated very seriously by the courts. It’s not shoplifting when they’ll be sent home with their parents.”The maximum penalty for aggravated robbery is a potential 14-year jail term and anybody committing these offences can expect to be caught and dealt with severely, he says.Police are very grateful to members of the public who supplied information that helped lead to the quick arrests – two of the youths were arrested the following day, a third two days later and the fourth was taken into custody and appeared in the Invercargill Youth Court on Thursday (3 April) following an extensive investigation.“For the amount they’re getting out of it it won’t be worth the grief,” Harvey says.“Offending of this type by young people is really concerning and you can never discount the effects on the victims,” he says.“It was a horrendous experience and pretty scary for them.”Delivery Driver Robbed – Forced From VehicleIt was a bad week for serious crime in Invercargill with another robbery the following Saturday night, 29 March, on Clyde Street about 10.30pm.Harvey says a delivery driver was parked near Kmart when he was approached by an unknown male and forcibly removed from his vehicle.The alleged offender stole the vehicle then made off with it.It was later located abandoned by Police.Harvey says a Police dog handler unit tracked away from the abandoned vehicle and the alleged offender – a 29-year-old male, was subsequently located and arrested.He’s been charge with robbery and remanded in custody.“This offending was isolated and unprovoked, and the apprehension of the alleged offender was swift, excellent work by attending Police staff,” Harvey says.Burnout Boys Dobbed In – Gore’s Had EnoughGore Police say they will not be tolerating anti-social driving behaviour, and nor will the public, with a local 21-year-old male identified after a complaint on 3 March.He’s been summoned to appear in the Gore District Court. Eastern Southland Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Gary Iddenten says the alleged offender had his vehicle impounded and has been charged with sustained loss of traction.Police investigations followed a complaint made by a member of the public.“Police are working with the community around this and looking at ways for drivers to make sound choices and be aware of their behaviour,” Iddenten says.Any illegal driving behaviour from excessive speed and dangerous and reckless driving to loss of traction and prolonged skids is classed as anti-social driving.Harvey says these are all of concern and the public has a low tolerance for this type of behaviour, as do Police.Offenders can expect to be dealt with and there will be arrests, he says.Woman Hit By Car In Gore – Airlifted with Serious InjuriesA woman was seriously injured after she was believed to have been hit by a car on the Hokonui Drive-Irwell Street corner in Gore at 11.43am on Thursday, 3 April, a Police spokesperson says.The woman was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital in a serious condition by the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter, according to a St John Ambulance spokesperson. St John and Police both attended the accident, and no further details were available as to what happened.Serious Condition After Horse Riding AccidentThe rescue helicopter flew another patient in a serious condition to Dunedin Hospital after what was thought to have been a horse-riding accident at Waimumu, near Gore, on Wednesday, 2 April.St John’s attended the accident which occurred on Glendu Road at 5.48pm, a spokesperson says.Joint Stewart Island Operation – Surprise ChecksPolice were very impressed with firearms and hunters’ compliance during a joint Police, Rakiura Māori Land Trust, MPI Fisheries and DOC operation involving four days of surprise checks all around Stewart Island in mid-March.Stewart Island Senor Constable Stu Newton says the group checked at random for fisheries, firearms and hunting compliance, with Fisheries staff spot checking both commercial and private vessels for any undersized catches or cod that had been filleted at sea.Newton says he made “a few notings” but overall, he was incredibly impressed with the firearms safety and regulations compliance from hunters this season.“We’re finding people are in the know,” he says.“They’re educated or they’ve been paying attention as to what’s going on. It’s great.”He says he was able to answer a lot of questions about the Firearms Registry and licensing, and how to safely transport firearms.“We had some international hunters from Australia who’d had trouble gaining permits. They only arrived the day before they flew here.”He says the operation was a way to educate and ascertain where different aspects may be lacking. DOC and the Māori Land Trust were checking for compliance with the hunting permits issued for their balloted blocks.
