Police have arrested 14 people in an early morning crack down on offenders with outstanding arrest warrants in Christchurch.
More than 70 police officers began the operation targeting 150 arrest warrants, mainly for offenders who had failed to appear in court, at 6am, police said.
By 8am, 14 people had been arrested and taken to Christchurch police station.
District Commander Gary Knowles said the operation was about holding offenders accountable.
"Each one of these offenders represents a potential criminal threat to the people of Christchurch and I make no apologies about taking action to bring them to justice.
"Police are targeting outstanding warrants all the time - but an operation like this is a chance to send a clear message to offenders: If you have an outstanding warrant, do something about it before you get a knock on the door."
Superintendent Knowles said an extra court and judge were operating today to process the offenders.
- Herald Online staff