Mark Mitchell: National police spokesperson agrees parents have to be held accountable for young offenders - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

National agrees parents need to be held accountable for their children's crimes.

A group of small business owners presented petitions to Parliament yesterday, calling for tougher laws and harsher punishments.

It includes consequences for parents whose children do ram-raids and smash and grabs.

National's police spokesman Mark Mitchell says parents should be offered help to better care for their family.

"There has to be a balancing act. There has to be accountability with the parents, they have to know where their children are, you actually have to peel the layers back in terms of the family situation."

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