Police are calling for the return of three emergency flares stolen from the Batchelor Fire and Emergency Response Group (FERG) compound over the weekend. These flares give out a red and blue strobe light effect and are used to warn motorists of dangers on the roads such as at motor vehicle crashes. Six flares and two portable radios and their chargers were stolen by a group of young men from Batchelor. A member of the public returned the radios and chargers on Wednesday morning and police recovered three of the flares after a number of search warrants were executed on premises in the Batchelor area. Five young men have been formally interviewed and will face criminal prosecution for the theft and use of the equipment. Tony Fuller, Superintendent Palmerston and Rural Operational Service Division, says police are disappointed that the five men apprehended over the thefts had shown little regard for the safety of their community. "This equipment is vital to the volunteers who provide emergency response in their community. Their apparent fun at pretending to be emergency response personnel and misusing the equipment has shown a distinct lack of maturity on their part." Further information has come to hand that the flares have been used by the men and their friends to imitate Emergency Response Vehicles in the Darwin and Batchelor areas. Police advise that the majority of covert emergency response vehicles have strobe lights secreted within the body of the vehicle and ask anyone concerned about the possible misuse of emergency beacons to record the number of the vehicle and report the matter to Police immediately.. If anyone has any information on the location of the three missing flares, they are urged to contact Police on 131 444 or Crimestoppers on 1300 000. Media Contact Sarah Gotch 89010280