A viral video of a comical police chase involving an allegedly stolen vehicle has highlighted an ongoing issue with car theft in remote Western Australia.
On Saturday night, a pursuit involving an allegedly stolen Toyota Land Cruiser and four juveniles lasted for over an hour as they ripped through the Kununurra community. in the state’s far north.
The car can be seen doing slow loops while the police car tails behind them.
It could have been the world’s slowest police chase.
According to Western Australian Police, a 14-year-old male will face charges including stealing a motor vehicle and no authority to drive.
Two 13-year-old males and a 12-year-old boy, have been charged with stealing a motor vehicle.
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‘CRIME WAVE’
Just one night earlier, Garry and Nicky Styles were victims of a similar alleged crime.
The couple were sleeping in their Kununurra hotel room when their holiday took a dark turn.
“It’s my fault to some extent, because I’m just not a door locker,” Nicky said.
“The keys were beside my husband on the bedside table. They came in and got the keys and took the car.”
The couple, who had an early start that morning, did not wake up. It wasn’t until the next morning they realised something had happened.
“One of the [hotel] managers knocked on the door and said, ‘I’ve noticed your sliding doors open and I think your car’s missing’. And it was missing.”
The couple’s dual-cab ute, which was decked out in thousands of dollars of equipment, was seriously damaged.
“They were driving on the rims, for a long time. There’s oil coming out from under the engine base somewhere, [they] smashed every window in the canopy, hit the bull bar.”
“I don’t know what they did, but it’s pushed it right up to the radiator.”
The car may not be repairable.
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The couple are just two victims in a car theft crime wave hitting the small Kimberley town of Kununurra.
According to Nicky, the police said a group of around 20 children and teenagers occasionally allegedly steal cars in the Kimberley.
“They told us their age is 10 to 15,” Nicky said.
When Nicky and Garry went to visit their ute at the local towing company, they saw more cars had arrived.
“We were getting what we could out of the car yesterday and there were another three vehicles that had come in overnight.”
Online, there are at least two social media accounts posting videos of young people driving recklessly in Kununurra.
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In one video, several people swerve on the streets in a branded work vehicle. The rooftop lights flash, while passengers hang out the side.
Another appears to be taunting police.
The caption says: “FTP Knxboyz make police p***”.
Police declined to specifically address the social media accounts, but say they are working to address the issue of car thefts in the Kimberley.
“Reckless driving and stolen motor vehicle offending remains a significant priority for Kununurra Police. Local officers continue to dedicate substantial resources to preventing these offences, identifying those responsible, and bringing investigations to a timely resolution,” Western Australian Police said in a statement.
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