Northland police are turning to the crime-busting TV series Police 10-7 in a bid to catch the man or men behind a series of sex attacks in Kerikeri.
The four incidents reported so far include two rapes, with the most recent incident about 1.45am on Sunday.
In that case a 21-year-old woman fled after she was approached by a man on Cobham Rd. She was unharmed and alerted police as soon as she was safely home.
Police are still investigating the latest incident and have not said whether they are linking it to three previous attacks, or believe one man is behind them all.
However, like the others, it occurred in central Kerikeri in the early hours of a weekend morning and involved a young woman walking home alone.
Police have been visiting bars in the town to urge pubgoers not to let friends walk home alone.
Appeals for information have yielded few useful tips, so police are turning to a TV crime show.
The crew of Police 10-7 and its presenter, retired Detective Inspector Graham Bell, spent yesterday filming in Kerikeri and talking to Far North detectives. The episode is due to screen on Thursday night.
Mr Bell said he was asked to cover a lot of crime so he had to prioritise. He had chosen to focus on Kerikeri this week because of the seriousness of the attacks.
Detective Sergeant Chris Fouhy said he hoped the episode would prompt someone to come forward with information.
The first attack occurred in the early hours of July 9, after an 18-year-old woman had been socialising at Rocksalt and the Homestead. She walked to a Fairway Drive home where she was planning to stay with friends, but was unable to rouse anyone. She went back on to the street where a man tried to strike up conversation, then pushed her on to the verge and raped her.
In the second, another 18-year-old was followed from the McDonald's car park across Kerikeri Domain in the early hours of July 17. She was pushed against the wall of the former rugby clubrooms then raped on the grandstand balcony.
About 11.30pm on July 23 a woman was grabbed at the intersection of Cobham Rd and Cobham Court, but the attacker fled when a car approached.
Detective Sergeant Kevin Burke advised people to use a courtesy van or call a taxi rather than walk home alone after going out for drinks.
Police have stepped up night-time patrols around the town.
The Police 10-7 episode featuring the Kerikeri attacks is due to screen at 7.30pm on TV2 this Thursday. Call Acting Detective Sergeant Greg Johnson on (09) 407 4923 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.