Hawke’s Bay Police are reasonably pleased with the results of an operation targeting drink driving on Friday 19 December – but four impaired drivers let the side down.

With the holiday season in full swing, Police set up a checkpoint at the roundabout of Pakowhai Road and Te Aea Kahikatea in Hastings.

Across the afternoon operation, Police stopped over 1100 vehicles, with four people blowing over the legal alcohol limit.

In addition to this, a number of infringement notices were issued for licence breaches and failing to wear a seatbelt.

A Police investigation has identified an offender allegedly behind two targeted wilful damage incidents in an Auckland suburb.

The development comes after Waitematā West Police scoured across Whenuapai to get answers.

A local man has been gifted a court appearance after a search warrant was executed on Christmas Eve at his home.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting, Waitematā West Area Investigations Manager, says two incidents occurred under the cover of darkness on 9 and 11 December 2025.

Wellington Police have disrupted multiple planned anti-social road user gatherings overnight.

Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Wade Jennings says checkpoints and a visible Police presence at key locations stopped the convoy of vehicles from setting themselves up.

Operation Kereru focused on 200 vehicles coming from areas such as Whanganui, Levin, and Palmerston North, with the intent of descending on the Wellington area to carry out dangerous driving activities.

One person has been located deceased following a house fire in New Plymouth overnight.

Emergency services were called to a property on Trelawney Crescent around 2:30am today to reports of a house fire.

Sadly, one person was located deceased.

A scene examination is ongoing at the property, and Police will work alongside Fire and Emergency NZ to determine the circumstances of the fire.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

A sliver of cell phone reception led to the rescue of three young men, after they endured a cold and wet night stranded in a gorge.

Wellington District Search and Rescue coordinator Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp says the trio intended to float down the Hutt River in the Kaitoke Regional Park, but their planning was flawed.

“They set off late in the day on Monday to traverse the river on inner tubes but were wearing only light clothing and soon found themselves in a dangerous situation with darkness descending and impassible cliffs on both sides of the river.

Attribute to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant John Love: 

Police have arrested four people of interest following the investigation into the murder of Bill Maangi in Gisborne.

Mr Maangi died in hospital, after being shot in the early hours of Monday 29 September at an address on Ormond Road.

Between Wednesday 9 December and Thursday 11 December, Police executed search warrants at multiple addresses in the Gisborne area, in relation to the homicide investigation. This included a search of a section of the Taruheru River by the Police Dive Squad.

Attribute to Detective Inspector Daryl Smith, District Manager Criminal Investigations: 

Police investigating a homicide in Lake Crescent in Hamilton on Thursday 18 December can now release the name of the person who died.

He was 55-year-old Jason Poa, also known as Jason Tipene.

Emergency services were called to a Lake Crescent address at about 6:15pm last Thursday, where two people had been injured.

One of the victims later died at the scene, and the other was taken to Waikato Hospital in serious condition.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has today provisionally appointed four new District Commanders in the regions of Waikato, Wellington, the Bay of Plenty and Eastern District.

Two people who allegedly stole an E-Bike from two teenagers in Belmont last weekend have been caught by Police.

At about 2.30pm on Saturday two teenagers riding their E-Bikes along Lake Road were confronted by two people who pulled up next to them in a vehicle.

Waitematā East Area Investigations Manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Williams, says the male passenger has allegedly demanded the bike and presented a knife towards the victims.

“The man has then allegedly pushed one of the victims off the bike before assaulting him and riding off on the bike.

The Henderson Beat Team had a list, they checked it twice, finding out two shoplifters were not nice.

The tale unfolded at a Henderson supermarket on Sunday afternoon.

Sergeant Rachael England says the team were patrolling when supermarket workers alerted them to offending taking place.

“Two women allegedly stole a large number of groceries from the store in their trolley,” she says.

“Our team arrested the pair a short distance from the store.”