A video showing up to three WA Police cars chasing a stolen Toyota Landcruiser utility in Kununurra, Western Australia, has gone viral, posted by American ABC news stations across the United States including ABC Los Angeles and ABC Chicago.
On USA ABC News Instagram's page, the video has been viewed 1.6 million times, 5.5 million times on TikTok, and 811,000 times on their Facebook page, the combining total 1,500 times the population of Kununurra. The video has also been covered by the Sun UK, the New York Post and by news outlets across Australia, drawing attention to the nightly youth crime occurring in the East Kimberley town.
Kununurra Police have charged four juveniles aged 14, 13, 13 and 12 in relation to an evade police incident that occurred in Kununurra about 10.30pm on Saturday, August 1, 2026. They are all due to appear before Kununurra Children's Court at a later date charged with stealing a motor vehicle, and the 14-year-old also charged with no authority to drive.
Locals say it's the same group of youths stealing cars night after night.
Divina D'Anna, MLA Member for Kimberley said the Government recognises there is no single solution to youth crime.
"We need to be tough on crime, but also tough on the causes of crime," Ms D'Anna said.
"Preventing vulnerable children and young people from entering the justice system is a priority, and lasting change comes through community-led, culturally safe responses that address the underlying drivers of offending and help young people reconnect with family, education, culture and positive opportunities.
"Additional resources are being deployed, through Operation Regional Shield, a State-wide operation that enables WA Police to rapidly expand assets, run targeted operations and work alongside local agencies to tackle crime throughout country Western Australia.
"The State Government has also created a Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy - a coordinated, multi-agency, community-led response that addresses the causes of youth offending.
"It brings together night patrols, safe spaces, cultural programs, education, and youth engagement, because no single intervention is enough on its own."
Locals say after months of nightly crime sprees, they have had enough.
Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation CEO Adrian McCann said the metropolitan-style models were ineffective and do not address local place-based needs in remote communities.
"There are up to nine different government departments providing funding and youth services which are uncoordinated, lack communication, and result in duplicated efforts," Mr McCann said.
"We need to enable coordination and collaboration of funds and services coming into Kununurra, to enable local services to strategize and have inter-service arrangements and resource coordination.
"What's needed is a whole-of-family approach not just focussing on young people, we know that young people are on the streets because it's not safe at home at night.
"Rather than looking just through lens of justice to help young people, we need to consider intergenerational trauma and families living in poverty."
Mr McCann said the local Chamber of Commerce reports between $9 to $12 million in funding for youth services in Kununurra, which was not proportionate to the funding for much-needed whole-of-family family services.
"Waringarri Youth Space is open from 10 at night to 4 in the morning, Thursdays to Sundays, but there are very few services active when young people are out at nighttime. If we fund programs that operate nine to five, that's not when they are needed."
The footage of the Kununurra car chase shows the stolen vehicle driven erratically around boab trees, off the road kicking up dust, and evading police who had lights flashing and sirens blaring.
What is surprising is the interest from media outlets in the USA where seven mass shootings have been reported in the past four days (since August 1, 2026).
Based on averages, between 320 and 675 stolen car police pursuits are likely to have occurred across the United States since August 1.
Kununurra is the gateway to the East Kimberley and relies heavily on tourism from May to September during the short dry season. Hotels come with warnings in each room to keeps doors and windows locked and to keep valuables out of sight. Facebook groups for travellers suggest avoiding Kununurra, just stop to pick up necessary supplies and go straight to Lake Argyle and El Questro.
From one of Australia's most remote towns with a population of just 5,000, Kununurra has made global headlines for all the wrong reasons.
