26 Jan 2025

Rotorua police arrest 13 in crack-down on stolen shopping trolleys

9:00 pm on 26 January 2025
Shopping trolley queue

The three day crack-down on shopping trolleys was called Operation Trolley. Photo: (Pixabay)

Rotorua police arrested 13 people in a three-day crack down on homeless people with shopping trolleys.

The action - from 21-23 January - labelled Operation Trolley, followed complaints of threatening behaviour in the city's business district.

The operation focused on engaging and educating managers of local businesses, and enforcing the illegal actions of people using or having possession of shopping trolleys outside the boundaries of their respective stores.

Police said they recovered 45 trolleys, gave verbal warnings to seven people and charged six others with historical offences including theft, assault and bail breaches.

There were also 19 trespass notices issued.

Police said being homeless was not a crime but antisocial or unlawful behaviour would not be tolerated.

They said they were committed to ensuring anyone in CBD were safe and felt safe, and were working with a number of agencies to understand these issues, support the homeless and collectively find homeless people long-term solutions.

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