A witness at the scene said officers were talking to a handful of residents of the apartment block, which is across the road from the bus terminal near the Manukau shopping centre. The building has both short-term and long-term tenants.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said many of the residents of the apartments had young families.
He added that the block was a "safe place". He did not know the nature of yesterday's incident but said it was "unsettling" to return home from a walk to see the police presence outside the complex.