Derby Crime Spree: Nine Youths Charged with 70 Offences After Multi-Vehicle Theft Rampage

Nine boys have been arrested and hit with a combined 70 charges following a series of early morning break-ins and vehicle thefts in Derby.

Local police allege the youths trespassed at multiple homes in the town, located 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, between 1:00 am and 4:30 am on August 7.

During the crime spree, the group allegedly took a tray-top utility vehicle, a Toyota LandCruiser, a quad bike, and four motorcycles. Officers recovered all of the stolen vehicles and returned them to their owners, with no injuries reported during the incidents.

The charges laid against the group include several counts of stealing and attempting to steal a motor vehicle, as well as trespassing. Seven of the boys are scheduled to appear in the Derby, Broome, and Perth Children's courts at various dates this month, while two other teenagers received official cautions.

A Resilient Town Under Pressure

Derby Police Officer-in-Charge Nathan Smith identified the youth group as the primary driving force behind the town's sudden increase in crime.

"Every sub-district has certainly bubbles where there's increases in crime and this is just one that's happened in Derby," Senior Sergeant Smith said.

"For the most part, we're a resilient community that has been subject to an increase off the basis of a young group that were like-minded in their attitude on the night."

The Senior Sergeant expressed gratitude to residents for their assistance in reporting and resolving the incidents, noting that the close-knit nature of the Derby community played a key role.

"It's a safe place to live, it's a safe place to come and visit and travel through," Senior Sergeant Smith said. "We take this very seriously."

Community-Led Solutions in Focus

Youth crime in the wider Kimberley region has drawn significant attention recently, particularly after a viral video of an unrelated vehicle theft in Kununurra. In response to juvenile offending, local initiatives have been established to provide alternatives to detention.

The Wala Kooral-bi Centre, situated 120 kilometres south of Derby, launched earlier this year to provide an on-country diversion program for males aged 14 to 17. Since May, the Marlumanu Project has accommodated eight teenagers at the facility, serving as an alternative to sending juveniles south to Perth's troubled Banksia Hill Detention Centre.

"Those community led solutions are the ones that increase our ability to distract and prevent this cohort from continuing this behaviour," Senior Sergeant Smith said. "We're really supportive of Marlumanu and the work they are doing. We want to make sure that's a program that continues to operate because I think it's a needs basis in community."

Safety a Priority for Local Shire

Shire of Derby-West Kimberley Chief Executive Tamara Clarkson described the incident as disappointing, but emphasized that such occurrences are uncommon for the region.

"Community safety is obviously a priority of the shire, but it is a police matter," Ms. Clarkson said. She urged residents to take basic security precautions: "Always ensure that you are locking vehicles, your windows and doors, hiding keys never leaving them available."

Ms. Clarkson encouraged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.

"This is definitely a rarity for Derby," Ms. Clarkson said. "We've worked hard with our community to ensure that safety in priority."