Police have pressed more than 200 charges across the region in recent weeks over a spate of stolen cars, thefts of items inside motor vehicles, break-ins at homes and dangerous driving - mainly by juveniles posting footage of their alleged crimes on social media platform TikTok.
Twenty-two people have been arrested so far, including one alleged offender whose modus operandi involved removing windows from cars.
Two hundred and forty-four charges have been pressed across the region in relation to the incidents, with another 20 counts anticipated.
The alleged offences, mostly by teenagers, have been in the Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens-Hunter, Hunter Valley and Newcastle police district areas.
Seven teenagers were charged with 40 counts in June after they, among other alleged offences, live-streamed a pursuit with officers on social media.
Police this week did not want to speak about further specific examples, out of concern of giving ideas to would-be copycats.
Port Stephens-Hunter Police District commander Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey described the work of Strike Force Baste - made up of investigators from across the region - as a "real crowning achievement".
"The behaviour around the offences was extremely concerning," he said.
"Not only the breaking and entering of people's homes and breaking into cars, many unlocked, but the driving behaviours of young inexperienced people enticing police to chase in an effort to better one another on any social media platform have put many, many lives at risk.
"Obviously our response has been commensurate to that. We've put a lot of working into stopping this behaviour."
Detective Superintendent Humphrey said people should ensure they lock their vehicles and not leave any valuables inside them, lock their homes at night and not leave keys out in the open.
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