Victoria’s worst youth criminals behind 321 aggravated burglaries

Some of the worst reoffending young crims are leading the surge behind break-ins and car thefts across the state— with a 15-year-old boy behind 30 crimes this year.

The state’s 20 worst recidivist youth property criminals were responsible for 321 aggravated burglaries during which they stole a car, police figures reveal.

The worst recidivist is a 15-year-old boy who police have linked to 30 aggravated burglaries in one year.

He is one of 20 teenagers to have committed 11 or more aggravated burglaries in which a car was stolen in the past 12 months.

Police say the teenage boys, aged 13 to 17, are responsible for 20 per cent of the 1581 total aggravated burglaries, in which a car was stolen, in the year to the end of February.

The figures reveal a pattern in which a small cohort of teens regularly break into homes and steal cars to use in other offending, or to go late night joyriding.

The cohort has been a major target of Trinity, a special around-the-clock police operation aimed at curbing youth crime through Melbourne’s southern and eastern suburbs.

Investigators say they have recently identified a disturbing new development as Trinity targets are recruited as troops for Melbourne’s tobacco war.

One source said that for the first time they were seeing crossover between those investigated by Trinity and suspects in arsons under investigation by the anti-organised crime Lunar task force.

Mill Park restaurant Al Nafoura was targeted by arsonists.

Four teenagers were charged over the alleged arson attack.

Tobacco war bosses know the youths come cheap and, if caught, will face much lighter penalties than adults.

Lunar detectives charged four teenagers over an arson at the Al Nafoura restaurant in Mill Park earlier this month in which they stole a getaway car used in the attack.

Children as young as 11 are among a total of 590 offenders arrested by Trinity for 1581 burglaries where cars were stolen.

The recidivists have proved a massive headache for police with some of them arrested at a rate of once a month.

Two of the worst five are aged only 13, one of them implicated in 22 vehicle-motivated aggravated burglaries and the other racking up 20.

One of the 13-year-olds was arrested 12 times.

A Victoria Police spokesman said children who have been picked up and interviewed by police have revealed their main approach to theft is to walk up and down a street until they discover a home that is unlocked.

“Given this, we ask the community to be especially conscious of basic home security measures, such as locking all doors and windows,” he said.

“We understand there aren’t many scarier thoughts than an intruder in your home.

“It’s for this reason Victoria Police established a dedicated operation in March last year specifically targeting burglars and car thieves across Melbourne.

Trinity is backed by local police, the air wing, the dog squad, the public order response team and highway patrol officers.

Youth criminals walk up and down streets checking for unlocked cars or houses.

It covers the municipalities of Boroondara, Manningham, Monash, Whitehorse, Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia, Kingston, Glen Eira, Bayside, Banyule, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Mornington Peninsula. Stonnington, Port Phillip, Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges.

The spokesman said the nightly operation was currently the force’s biggest frontline initiative.

“There are 70 additional police rostered each night, on top of existing patrols. This includes frontline officers, Highway Patrol members, the Dog Squad, Public Order Response Team, and Air Wing,” he said.

The southern and eastern suburbs have for years been plagued by aggravated burglaries carried out by hundreds of children who sneak into houses while victims sleep and steal their cars.

More than 90 per cent of the vehicles are later recovered, indicating there is no profit motive in the crimes.

Senior police believe the offenders are driven by a desire for notoriety, often filming their exploits and posting the footage on social media.