Bush crime crisis: 100 youths charged in Operation Mongoose

Almost 100 young people — some as young as 11 — have been charged in a crackdown on brazen home invasions, car thefts and robberies in bush towns. Watch CCTV of youths ransacking a sporting goods shop.

Eleven-year-old children are among almost 100 young people who have been charged as part of a major police operation under way in the bush to tackle soaring incidents of home invasions, car thefts and robberies in bush towns.

Leaked police figures show 145 offenders — most of whom are aged between 14 and 17 — have been served with court attendance notices for a total of 1271 offences, ranging from aggravated break-and-enters to car thefts.

More than half of those charged — or about 65 per cent of the offenders — were already on bail at the time of the arrest.

Operation Mongoose was launched at the end of September last year to tackle rising crime in regional towns, with police involved in the high-visibility operation focusing on serious property-related crime predominantly committed by young offenders.

At the time of the launch, Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos exclusively told The Saturday Telegraph that police were taking a two-pronged approach to the concerning spike in youth crime.

Rugby union coach Shane Cantrill’s sporting goods shops have been repeatedly broken into.

On one hand they were focusing on prevention and intervention, while there was also the need to respond and keep communities safe.

The Saturday Telegraph has also been out on the road with NRL superstar Latrell Mitchell, who is working with senior police to encourage kids in the bush to make smart choices and better engage in their communities.

“There’s two ways you can go,” he tells the kids.

“You can get out in stolen cars or whatever it is your mates want to do, or you can say no.

“It’s cool to say no, it’s your personal decision and you’ve got to make the right one.”

The measures have coincided with growing pleas for action from mayors, local MPs and desperate residents, who have been demanding a greater police presence in the bush, an inquiry, and more options for magistrates such as residential programs instead of “bail or jail”.

CCTV footage shows numerous people ransacking the Intersport sports store in Orange (see video above).

Premier Chris Minns, who has visited 34 regional towns since the state election (Police Minister Yasmin Catley has been to a similar number) recently tasked the NSW Cabinet Office to come up with a plan to tackle the issue.

The Saturday Telegraph understands a package of measures will be presented to Cabinet for deliberation as early as this week.

However, Attorney-General Michael Daley already has hinted there is no “easy fix”.

The police figures show aggravated break-and-enters made up the majority of offences, with 199 separate incidents occurring over the five months that the operation has been under way.

Stealing or driving someone else’s car was next on the list, with police recording 14 “steal motor vehicle”, 41 “take and drive”, 13 “aggravated take and drive” and 112 “carried in conveyance” offences. There also were 28 robbery offences and 17 break and enters.

Teenagers made up the majority of the offenders, with 87 aged between 14 and 17 years.

NRL star Latrell Mitchell has been working with senior police to encourage kids in the bush to make smart choices. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The escalation of crime has led to NSW MPs based in the bush to call for action.

Independent MP Dr Joe McGirr told parliament last month how an elderly couple in his electorate of Wagga Wagga had been the victims of home invasions “not once but twice in four months”.

“The most recent attack occurred late last year,” he said.

He said the couple, who were aged in their 80s, confronted the “teenage burglars” inside their home after being woken late at night.

“Their plucky response earned an apology of sorts from one of the young offenders, who left empty-handed,” Dr McGirr said.

The second incident was “more frightening”, he said.

“The intruders tried to bash their way into the couple’s property, leaving them shaken and alarmed,” Dr McGirr said.

“I acknowledge the pluck and bravery of that couple but I also raise the issue because, sadly, it was not an isolated incident.

“Since then, there has been a reported spate of home burglaries, car thefts and other crimes in
Wagga Wagga. Crime is becoming an increasing concern for people in the regions, leaving victims frightened, angry and worried that it will worsen.”

Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr has raised the issue in state parliament. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Dr McGirr told The Saturday Telegraph that the solution needed to go beyond just catching offenders.

It should include better positioned police, and more options for magistrates to divert offenders to programs rather than place them in custody where they learn more tricks.

Orange MP Phil Donato, a former police officer and prosecutor, said some young offenders were filming their crimes to post on social media platforms such as Tik Tok.

“In some cases they’re breaking in, stealing and then filming someone sleeping, which they then post on social media” he said.

In the state’s far-west, Barwon MP Roy Butler – a former offender management program manager who has been meeting with senior police and Children’s Court of NSW Judge Nell Skinner to find a solution beyond just bail or custody – said communities in his electorate were experiencing an increase in “aggravated offences, stolen cars and break-ins”.

“Kids are breaking into homes, stealing the car keys, taking off with cars and driving recklessly through the community,” Mr Butler said.

“We need something in the middle to deter potential offenders or reoffenders from entering the justice system and staying there

“Young offenders, particularly Indigenous young offenders, often have complex histories and require diverse approaches to intervention at a grassroots level.”

Acknowledging the Minns government had “inherited” the problem of police shortages, Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper in September noted how the local Morisset Police Station, which had opened in October 2016 “with much fanfare” as a “state‑of‑the‑art police station”, had closed.

“Since its opening date, I have been campaigning for an ongoing 24/7 police presence at Morisset Police Station,” Mr Piper said.

“Yet, I was shocked to find out recently that, instead of police resourcing being increased at Morisset, the doors of the station are no longer open to the public, with no general duties officers based there.”

OWNER PAYING A HEIST PRICE

Rugby union coach Shane Cantrill has lost count of how many pairs of Nike socks have been stolen from his two sports stores.

Puffer jackets also are in high demand, as well as Nike shoes.

Sporting equipment was harder to steal, although Cantrill did catch a young man walking like he had a stiff neck — only to discover he had a tennis racket jammed down the back of his jacket.

“He was trying to hide the racket top with his head,” Cantrill said.

Orange MP Phil Donato (left) and Intersport shop owner Shane Cantrill are concerned about the level of youth crime across the state.

Cantrill, who owns Intersport Orange and Intersport Bathurst, said the shoplifting was a weekly occurrence, with mothers sometimes using their babies to hide stolen goods.

But lately, there had been more serious incidents.

Police recently called Cantrill to say his sports store in Orange had been ramraided at 2am, with hundreds of dollars worth of shoes and clothing stolen.

Three hours later, he received another call to say the door of his other sports store in Bathurst had been smashed in with more goods taken.

A year on, Cantrill is still waiting for an outcome on the case and for police to return his goods so he can re-sell them.

“It’s constant,” he said. “The past 12 months we’ve been broken into three times. The shoplifting is weekly. There is stuff we don’t even know we have lost until we see an empty tag or do a stocktake.”

While he acknowledges some of the offenders might be doing it tough, some of the kids he knew came from “wealthy” families.

“The worst thing is how it impacts our staff. We have a lot of younger staff, females, and they can be abused. I don’t think police realise what is going on,” he said.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]