Police in remote Western Australia will increase patrols at a shopping complex to crack down on a youth crime problem described as the worst in decades.
A group of children, with some thought to be as young as eight, have been harassing businesses at Kununurra's Coles Shopping Complex, stealing goods and damaging property.
The shopping complex has long attracted anti-social behaviour and business owners have told the ABC the problem has now reached a low point.
Kununurra Pharmacy owner Gareth Gearon said the havoc had impacted staff morale.
"I've been here over 30 years and it's the worst it's ever been," he said.
"We've had kids try and kick our back door in. We've had kids abuse staff and patrons. We've had people whose handbags and phones have been the subject of an attempted grab-and-run."
Young offenders have also graffitied a ceiling with burn marks, in the shopping complex's public toilets.
"You might run into these kids at the toilet ... setting fire to it, making a mess, tearing up the toilet paper," Mr Gearon said.
Some businesses declined to comment to the ABC, fearing that speaking publicly would result in them being targeted by the problem group of teenagers.
Kununurra police officer Acting Senior Sergeant Rob Wolfe said police would increase patrols and work with shop owners and agencies to combat the issue.
"Currently we are dealing with a juvenile ... crime and anti-social behaviour problem in and around Kununurra's shopping complexes," he said.
"We request that anyone with information or witnesses anti-social behaviour, call police or report the incidents in a timely manner."
Families urged to take responsibility
Mr Gearon said only family members could rein in the children who pestered his business.
"The kids themselves, we can't rely on them to develop a conscience without, in a family sense, having some sort of role model," he said.
He said the number of children causing damage had increased.
"So, when you're confronted by 10 or 20 young kids, the odd one will throw a rock at you from time to time; it's different to when it's three, four or five," he said.
"We'd like someone to take responsibility for kids that are creating mayhem around town."
Youth crime in Kununurra has not reached the record highs experienced by other Kimberley communities in the past year, but the issue of unsupervised school-age children roaming the streets remains a long-term problem.
Police have thrown extra resources at youth offending across the region as part of Operational Regional Shield and a variety of agencies work intensively with at-risk young people and their families in Kununurra to reduce incarceration.
WA's crime statistics show rates of stealing, property damage and graffiti in Kununurra in the past six months remain about the same as last year.
