Residents may have noticed an increased police presence around the King Country area over the last couple of weeks. Firstly, I want to assure the community there is no ongoing risk to your safety.
On Friday constables from Ōtorohanga located a stolen ute and trailer snooping around rural properties on Rangiatea Road. A resident observed the suspicious activity on their farm and promptly called 111.
Police then located the vehicle leaving the area. The vehicle was discovered to be stolen days earlier from Tauranga, the owner was grateful to see its return.
A male will be appearing in the Te Kuiti Court charged in relation to the motor vehicle theft.
A 22-year-old female in Te Kuiti was located and arrested for failing to return after being granted compassionate leave from prison.
Also on Friday Police conducted enquiries for a male at a property in Te Kuiti. The male threatened to shoot Police before running from the address. No weapon was located, the individual has a warrant for his arrest and police will continue attempts to locate him in the safest possible manner.
Significant media spotlight recently has focussed on an incident involving Tom Phillips.
Matters relating to the Phillips family are managed by a dedicated team not including staff based here. King Country police staff remain committed to the priorities within our district, and are focussed on responding to events in this area.
I would encourage any individual who knows they are sought by police to communicate with us, either by calling 105 or a local station. We are always open to discussion and negotiation to surrender peacefully.
However, we will continue to actively seek out those who cause harm in our communities and officers will do what’s required to safeguard themselves and the public. Police aren’t out here to hurt anybody – so please reach out to us and resolve whatever the issue is.
