Police praise schools’ response to emergency

Thursday's phone threat emergency sparked a full-scale police response that saw cordons in place at Lytton High School, Riverdale Primary (pictured) and Campion College. Photo / Paul Rickard

Police are full of praise for the way schools handled Thursday’s phone threat emergency that resulted in Lytton High, Campion College and Riverdale School going into lockdown.

Students and staff remained in their classrooms until police gave the all-clear.

The emergency was sparked by a phone call police believe involved the threat of using a firearm.

“We are still conducting inquiries into the location of the phone call, and the caller,” Gisborne CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Moorhouse said.

“The schools caught up in the emergency all did the right things. I’ve got nothing but praise for them, particularly Lytton High. They were calm, organised and had a good, structured plan.

“The schools liaised well with police and the whole thing was well handled by them.”

Moorhouse said police “had their work cut out for them initially”.

“We needed to ensure it was safe for the students to leave school.

“Once we established that it was safe for them to be picked up by their parents and caregivers, catch a bus or just walk home, the all-clear was given.”

Aggravated robbery charge

Police have made an arrest after the fail-to-stop incident in the Tolaga Bay area on Monday that saw armed officers, including the AOS, on the town’s streets and in rural areas.

“We have taken a man in his 30s into custody and he’s been charged with two counts of fleeing driver and a count of aggravated robbery,” Moorhouse said.

Three youths apprehended

Three juveniles have been apprehended after the arson at a Totara Street house last Sunday afternoon.

Curtains in a bedroom of the unoccupied house were allegedly set on fire and neighbours saw youths running from the house after smoke alarms in the house sounded.

Neighbours called firefighters who arrived in time to stop the fire taking hold.

“The youths were apprehended as a result of helpful information from the public,” Moorhouse said.

They have been referred to youth services.