Senior Sergeant Nathan Davis of the Tararua Police was one of the many people disappointed by the graffiti and break-in at Dannevirke's Rugby Park on the eve of the Ross Shield rugby tournament. Mr Davis' hope at the time was that this mindless damage and theft was committed by someone from out of town and not a local from Dannevirke or the wider Tararua community.
Graffiti had been painted over buildings at Rugby Park and items stolen from Kim Spooner's coffee cart in what Mr Davis described at the time as "a disgraceful and thoughtless act".
"Here was a group of volunteers putting together the Ross Shield tournament trying to present our town in a positive light and all these offenders wanted to do was cause damage and resentment."
Investigations have now revealed three of the four culprits are from Dannevirke, with the fourth from out of town.
"It's so disappointing," Mr Davis said.
"We received information on the Thursday morning of the Ross Shield big breakfast and recovered a bag of marshmallows stolen from the coffee cart which were sent away for forensics.
"We were then given further information regarding names of possible suspects, but with no concrete information.
"It was pleasing to be told the names of possible suspects within four days of the offending, but it was displeasing to hear three of the four offenders were local juveniles."
Senior Constable Wayne Churchouse of the Dannevirke Police made the breakthrough in the investigation and he then gained an admission from the out-of-town juvenile offender after travelling out of the district to formally interview the offender, the result of which was the recovery of some of the stolen property - a coffee grinder.
"Why steal something like that? They just steal because they can," Mr Davis said.
The four are now going through the youth justice process, but police have yet to decide if the youth court is the best way forward.
"It's incomprehensible that a parent or caregiver didn't notice a coffee grinder in their house and you have to ask yourself what were these young people doing out at night with cans of paint?" Mr Davis said.
"These are social sector issues and if we get kids out offending now . . . Let's nip this type of behaviour in the bud now."
Mr Davis said it's the community who have a positive influence on investigations of this type. "They supply timely and accurate information to police which really helps us to solve our crimes. Of course, forensic evidence plays a part in an investigation, but the support from the public with accurate information is paramount.
"And Senior Constable Churchouse's work on this particular case has been wonderful. He's worth his weight in gold."