A 24-hour Mobile Police Base has been set up at Petane War Memorial Park in Bay View to assist local residents.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said Police in Eastern District were bringing the visibility and support of their local stations directly to residents in some of the most heavily cyclone-affected areas.
It is the second Mobile Police Base to be established, with the first deployed to Puketapu last week.
“The base there has been put to good use by the community and feedback to date has been very positive,” the Commissioner said.
A third base is on the way in the coming days.
“As the roading network begins to reopen, the bases will be making their way around the region.”
“This enables Police to have greater visibility in our communities, particularly in more rural or isolated locations.
“I want to acknowledge the feelings of distress and concern from some residents in Eastern District, and reassure them that we are maintaining our additional staff numbers in district while we work through the recovery phase,” Commissioner Coster said.
He said the mobile bases further boost the additional resources already available in district, which include specialist search groups, intelligence officers, investigators, dog handlers, iwi liaison officers, frontline staff and the Eagle helicopter.
“We have heard residents’ concerns around crime and our officers are working hard every day carrying out reassurance patrols and engaging with communities.”
“As part of our response to this event, Police staff have assisted with rescues and evacuations, they have door-knocked at homes to locate people sought by loved ones, responded to a wide range of calls for service, and maintained a high visibility presence across both Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti.
“I am proud of what our Police staff are doing in the communities, and I know many of them are also dealing with the personal impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We urge anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour or is the victim of crime to get in touch as soon as possible,” the Commissioner said.
If you need urgent assistance, please contact Police on 111. For non-urgent matters call 105, come to a local station, or visit a mobile base.
