Katikati lockdown and string of arrests in busy month for local Police

Katikati experienced a tense day on 21 November when Police — including officers from out of town — carried out an operation that led to road closures around Beach Rd and surrounding streets. Schools, a childcare centre and the medical centre were placed into lockdown as a situation unfolded over the course of the day. Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh acknowledged the disruption to the public but said everyone's safety was the priority, thanking residents, schools and affected businesses for their patience.

A 30-year-old man who had recently been residing in Katikati was arrested following the operation, which involved the Armed Offenders Squad and Tauranga CIB alongside local Police. He was charged with multiple offences including kidnapping and wounding with intent, and was remanded in custody to appear in Tauranga District Court on 15 December. A 24-year-old Katikati woman and a 29-year-old Katikati woman were also arrested and charged with wilful damage, being unlawfully on a property, and obstruction respectively, in connection with separate incidents around the same period.

Elsewhere, a 26 November search warrant executed at a Minden address led to the arrest of a 30-year-old man charged with possession of a restricted firearm and ammunition, as well as driving whilst disqualified. A 31-year-old Te Puna man was also arrested on 25 November for breaching bail conditions.

Several burglaries and thefts were also reported across the district during November, including items stolen from a shed on Te Puna Quarry Rd, a break-in on Longmynd Drive, a pair of running shoes taken from a MacMillan St property, and a courier parcel containing knives and a diffuser stolen from a doorstep on Binnie Rd.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).