Two men are due to appear in court tomorrow after an incident where police believe a patrol car was shot at in cyclone-hit Wairoa.
After attending a report of a breach of the peace in Wairoa’s Churchill Ave at around 10.30pm on Saturday, a police car had a headlight shotout.
Two men, aged 22 and 23, attempted to flee the scene in a vehicle but were apprehended by police soon after.
They are due to appear in Gisborne District Court on Monday February 27, facing charges in relation to the incident.
A subsequent search of their property with the help of the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) personnel occurred soon after, but no further firearms were seized.
Tairāwhiti Police Area Commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said residents are forgetting that it is “business as usual” for officers in the district after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“I’m always impressed with the resilience of our team, many of whom have been personally affected by the cyclone and ongoing weather events, all of whom have the safety of their communities at the front of their mind when they come into work.”
Wairoa was left completely isolated during the devastating storm nearly a fortnight ago, with homes submerged when the Wairoa river breached its banks.
The town was left with no power or phone service for days.
An aerial view of the flooding in Wairoa, in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Wairoa District Council
It was a similar story for most of the Eastern districts in the North Island, which are only just beginning the massive task of cleaning up after the storm.
Gangs began to take advantage of the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle, and the area saw an increase in burglaries and other crimes as people looted from abandoned houses.
Residents in cyclone-hit Hawke’s Bay resorted to erecting roadblocks in some suburbs to protect their properties and homes from looters and thieves.
The region had got 145 additional frontline police staff in the wake of the cyclone on top of 770 already there.
Police Minister Stuart Nash Nash said that the criminal behaviour by gangs in Hawkes Bay was totally unacceptable.
“Police are onto this and, as a community, we won’t stand for such behaviour by gangs.”
Nash said gangs had a very strict hierarchy, with leaders and then men who go out on the streets.
“I ask them to take control of these men because their families are also impacted.”
Nash said it was not the right time especially when the city was in distress and people had no communication.
“We don’t want gangs. I called gang leaders and told them to get this under control, they call themselves community leaders so this is the time to show that leadership.”
In the past 24 hours, police in the Eastern District have carried out 543 prevention-related tasks, such as reassuring patrols and pro-active outreach to storm-affected neighbourhoods.
Over the same period, Police received 453 calls for service, including five reports of burglaries and 48 family harm incidents.
Twenty-four people have been arrested for a variety of offences – 14 in Hawke’s Bay and 10 in Tairawhiti.
Offences include burglary, car theft, serious assault and disorder.
