NZ Engine

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A section of State Highway 11 near Haruru has been closed due to a fatal crash.

Police are in attendance at the crash involving a truck and vehicle on Puketona Road / State Highway 11.

The crash was reported at 2.27pm.

Sadly, the driver of the vehicle has died at the scene.

Two occupants of the truck have sustained moderate injuries.

The Serious Crash Unit is deploying to the site and will examine the scene, with an investigation to commence.

A section of State Highway 11 has been closed and these are expected to be in place for at least a couple of hours.

Diversions are in place at the Puketona roundabout (intersection with State Highway 10) and at Haruru Falls Road.

Light vehicles travelling from Paihia will be able to U-turn at Haruru Falls Road intersection.

Heavy vehicles will need to travel via Haruru Falls Road, through Waitangi, to return to Paihia.

Please expect delays on your travels this afternoon.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

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Northland Police will be out in force in coming weeks in a bid to reduce speed on local roads.

Throughout the next six weeks Police will increase focus on speeding drivers in the North, enforcing the ‘anywhere, anytime’ motto.

Northland Road Policing Manager, Inspector Anne-Marie Fitchett, says road users can expect to see more officers out and about in a bid to deter motorists from any risky behaviours.

“Speed is a major contributor to crashes and the damage on impact if there is a crash.

“Our teams are committed to ensuring our roads are safe, and we need everyone to do their part.”

Inspector Fitchett says Police will be actively patrolling areas where there is a higher risk to road users.

“We want our presence to deter motorists from any driving behaviours that put themselves and others at risk.

“Everyone deserves to be safe when travelling on Northland roads.

“When it comes down to it, we choose our behaviour behind the wheel and those who make poor choices, will find there are consequences.”

If you encounter or witness any dangerous driving incidents, contact Police via 111 or *555 so we can locate and hold the drivers accountable.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

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Officers who spotted a stolen vehicle travelling through Kaitaia managed to not only locate the vehicle and those allegedly responsible for taking it, but also link it to a nearby burglary.

At about 11.30am yesterday, on-duty officers witnessed a vehicle travelling on Pukepoto Road which had been reported stolen the previous day.

Far North Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Richard Garton, says the unit conducted an area search and quickly located the vehicle abandoned on Grigg Street.

“Two people were located at a nearby address and taken into custody without incident.

“Further enquiries established that the same vehicle had been used during a burglary in Mangonui during the early hours of the morning.”

Senior Sergeant Garton says at about 2.26am on Wednesday the vehicle pulled up to a commercial premises on Waterfront Drive and three people got out, smashing windows to gain access to the store.

“A number of items were taken before the group left in the same vehicle.

“Two people remain outstanding in relation to the burglary and enquiries remain ongoing to locate them.

“We acknowledge the concern these incidents cause to the wider community and reiterate our commitment to holding these offenders accountable.

“We have zero tolerate for this type of behaviour in our community and will continue to work hard to ensure our community can be and feel safe.”

A 14-year-old will appear in Kaitaia District Court today charged with burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

A 17-year-old was bailed to appear in Kaitaia District Court next week.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

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Please attribute to Detective Inspector Marty James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:

An investigation is under way into a house fire in Wairoa overnight.

Emergency services were called to the well-involved fire on Apatu Street about 7pm on Friday. The house had been vacant for several years, and no injuries were reported.

The house suffered substantial damage, and a neighbouring property was also damaged by the fire.

Today, Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand carried out a scene examination, though the cause of the fire is unexplained.

Enquiries are ongoing, but at this stage we are satisfied the fire is not connected to any gang-related incidents that occurred in Wairoa earlier this month.

On Thursday, Eastern District Police were issued a Gang Conflict Warrant following several incidents stemming from ongoing tensions between Mongrel Mob and Black Power. A significant operation is under way across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, including in Wairoa.

The Gang Conflict Warrant is issued under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act and gives us special powers to search vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.

While we do not believe the Apatu Street fire is related to those tensions, Police will continue to have a highly visible presence in the Wairoa community, and in communities around the Eastern District.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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One person has died following a serious crash in Hastings this afternoon.

Police were alerted to a single vehicle crash on Tomoana Road at around 12.40pm.

Sadly, despite best efforts of emergency services, one person died at the scene.

The road remains closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducts a scene examination.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and follow diversions.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Please attribute to Detective Inspector Marty James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:

Three people have been arrested in relation to the Gang Conflict Warrant currently in place in Eastern District, with powers being invoked eight times overnight.

A 21-year-old man was arrested in Wairoa shortly before 11pm and is due to appear in Wairoa District Court on 2 May on drug and driving-related charges.

A 21-year-old woman was also arrested for disorderly behaviour, while a 50-year-old man has been arrested for breaching bail.

Police are pleased to have undertaken a range of activities overnight, with the aim of suppressing the illegal and dangerous activities of gang members.

We will be deploying additional resources within the coming days to ensure we are utilising the warrant’s special powers to their full extent.

Police will be highly visible in our communities, and we hope this provides reassurance to members of the public who have a right to go about their lives without fear and intimidation.

We thank the public for their ongoing cooperation as we work hard to hold people committing this offending to account.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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Attribute to Road Policing Manager Inspector Angela Hallett

Police are investigating a serious crash involving an off-road bike in Hastings this afternoon.

About 2pm, a motorcycle crashed on Canning Road, between Hapia Street and Orchard Road. As the bike skidded along the ground it hit a nurse outside a café, causing her moderate injuries.

One of the two juvenile on the bike received critical injuries, while the second received serious injuries. Police have established the rider was a 14-year-old, carrying a 17-year-old passenger.

We are still piecing together the events, but initial indications suggest the bike was one of two travelling at speed along Canning Road and may have been attempting to undertake a turning vehicle when the crash happened.

Both bikes are believed to have been the subject of complaints a short time earlier, though were not being pursued at the time of the crash.

I want to commend the swift actions of medical staff who rushed to assist the injured parties, and the professionalism of Police staff. Officers at the scene were forced to form a barrier between the first responders and a number of people who arrived on scene and became abusive at the people who were trying to help.

Police also arrested one man for breaching bail, after he drove a car onto the footpath at the crash scene.

The investigation into the crash is in its early stages and no charges have yet been laid. We are speaking to a number of people and will be making follow up enquiries over the coming days.

The road was closed for a time while a scene examination was carried out but has since reopened.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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Police are now in the position to release the name of the man who died following a crash on State Highway 2, Tangoio on 16 April.

He was Glen Stephen Harrison, 64.

Police extend our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source:

To be attributed to Detective Inspector Marty James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:

Eastern District Police have today been issued a Gang Conflict Warrant, following several incidents stemming from ongoing tensions between Mongrel Mob and Black Power.

At around 10:45pm on Tuesday night, shots were fired at houses in Wairoa associated with both gangs, and a Napier house connected to one of the gangs was targeted this morning. 

We’re also aware of a number of alleged gang-related incidents in Wairoa that have not been reported to us, including assaults, vehicle rammings, other damage to cars, and threatening behaviour.

A significant operation is under way across Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay in response to this senseless violence between the two gangs, and the Gang Conflict Warrant issued today gives us valuable additional powers to draw on.

The Gang Conflict Warrant is issued under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act and gives us special powers to search vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.

The violence we are seeing from these two gangs – particularly those incidents where firearms are involved – is absolutely unacceptable in our communities.

The residents of our communities have the right to be able to go about their daily lives without fearing for their safety from gang-related violence. They’ve had enough and so have we.

As part of our investigation into the recent offending, officers in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will be stopping vehicles with links to gang members and searching gang-related addresses. 

Officers will also be maintaining a highly visible presence in our communities to provide reassurance.

We are determined to hold those responsible for the recent offending to account and gang members should be on notice that we will not tolerate this ongoing violence.

Today we arrested two men in relation to the incident in Wairoa on Tuesday night. The two men – aged 18 and 35 – have been charged with aggravated burglary and possession of offensive weapons. Further arrests are likely in the coming days.
 

ENDS
 

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source:

Two people are before the courts after Police executed two search warrants at addresses in Te Karaka, in relation to unlawful hunting in the region.

The warrants were executed on Thursday 17 April, resulting in Police locating and seizing a firearm, ammunition, and a large amount of cannabis.

Two men, aged 32 and 40, are due to appear in the Gisborne District Court tomorrow (23 April), facing charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, unlawful hunting and cultivating cannabis.

Poaching and unlawful hunting continues to be an ongoing issue across the wider district, not only for personal safety reasons but also for the flow on effect from the damage caused to the forestry and farmers properties.
These two arrests are a pleasing result, and Police will continue to work hard to hold offenders to account.

Police urge anybody who has been a victim of poaching to make a report to Police via 105.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre