Katikati police report spike in dishonesty offending

Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh has flagged a difficult stretch for dishonesty offending across the Katikati area, with a string of burglaries, thefts and arrests recorded between mid and late September 2025. The Tetley Road recycling centre was broken into on three separate occasions, with low-value goods taken each time, and police are actively seeking a person of interest in connection with those incidents. A large commercial yard on Waterford Road was entered twice over a single weekend, with offices and trucks broken into and a Toyota Hilux, toolboxes and other items stolen — the vehicle was later found abandoned on a secluded section of Hyde Road, and some of the tools were recovered hidden nearby.

Theft of diesel from machinery at an Ōmokoroa Road construction site continued to be a problem, and a roadside turning mirror was taken from Walker Road East. Three search warrants were executed in the search for stolen property, though none turned up the goods. On 23 September, a 33-year-old Katikati woman was charged with two counts of shoplifting and trespassed from two local stores. Two men aged 21 and 33 were also arrested in Whakamārama for wearing gang insignia; one of the pair had also breached his bail conditions.

Police have also raised the alarm about a rise in online scams through social media, warning these are extremely difficult to trace — particularly when they originate from overseas networks. Residents are urged never to share bank account or credit card details with anyone making contact online. As always, people are encouraged to call 111 if an incident is in progress, or 105 to report it after the fact.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).