Police prepare to start moving in

Police are due to start moving into a new Kerikeri Police Station next month.
The thin blue line had been based in a cramped station, a house, a prefab and a garage on the Kerikeri Rd site, but the two-storey building will gather all Kerikeri and Far North headquarters staff under one roof.
The new station is being built in stages so police do not have to work from temporary quarters during construction.
Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson said staff were looking forward to moving into phase one of the new station around October 18, but that date had yet to be confirmed. Building was behind schedule because of bad weather.
Once staff had moved into stage one, which included offices and operational areas, the existing station would be demolished and stage two would be built in its place. The second stage would include a cell block, interview rooms and storage areas, and was due to be completed by the end of the year.
Until then Mr Robinson said staff would have to make do, for example, by using a modified shipping container as a makeshift cell. Anyone arrested on New Year's Eve in Paihia will be familiar with the container, which is used as a temporary lock-up for unruly revellers.
The new station has been designed to cater to the Bay of Islands' growing population, with an open-plan layout and flexibility for future changes. Its stone-clad facade aims to complement the historic town's main street. Fifty-seven staff are based in Kerikeri.