Senior Sergeant Dean Harker said police were speaking to a number of youths who “are assisting us with our investigation”.
The offending began about two months ago, he said.
There were a number of youths involved from Selwyn, who were allegedly breaking into and stealing cars in the district and in Christchurch.
“The number of vehicles would be well into double figures,” Harker said.
The youths were also allegedly responsible for ramming a number of vehicles parked on the roadside in Lincoln.
There had also been vehicles stolen from around Christchurch and left abandoned in Lincoln and the surrounding areas.
“This is still under investigation. No charges have been laid as yet and we are still collating all of the offences,” Harker said.
The Selwyn Times understands the teenagers have been copy-catting a trend in other parts of New Zealand, where groups of youths target specific cars, steal them and then brag about their exploits.
Harker would not say how police were able to identify the group believed to be responsible for the thefts and vehicle ramming in Selwyn.
Police have been extremely worried a member of the public would be injured or worse because of the teenagers’ antics.
A Lincoln resident told the Selwyn Times he was out for his regular nightly walk two weeks ago when a vehicle almost lost control on Southfield Drive.
He had been subsequently told it was likely to have been stolen.
“I could hear it coming. As it approached Ryelands Drive from the Te Whariki end, the driver almost lost it. I stopped (on the footpath) as it came towards me. I could see its right wheels lift slightly and I thought: ‘It’s going to flip’.
“I knew I’d have a split second to decide which way I was going to go to avoid it. But the driver held the car down and it kept going at pace along Southfield.”
