Armed police blocked a road in the Napier suburb of Tamatea on Thursday afternoon due to an operation involving tactical equipment.
Cordons were put in place on Leicester Ave as a precaution while officers made enquiries to locate people of interest, police said. Leicester Ave was closed until about 4pm, with cordons lifted at Coventry Ave and Westminster Ave. Footage from the scene showed armed police outside a property, and a nearby resident told the NZ Herald that officers used a loudspeaker to demand someone come out of a house near Southwark Ave.
Tamatea School Operation Updates
Tamatea Primary School notified parents via Facebook that the Ministry of Education informed them of the police activity. The school told families that children were safe and that classes would not enter lockdown.
“We have been told there is no need for a lockdown and they will keep us updated,” Tamatea Primary School said on Facebook. “Your tamariki are all safe at school as we continue to monitor this.”
Did You Know? Cordons during the Thursday afternoon incident affected Leicester Ave between Coventry Ave and Westminster Ave before being lifted just after 4pm.
Police continue inquiries after people of interest were not located
Police confirmed just after 4pm that the people of interest were not located during the search of the Tamatea property. Authorities said that ongoing inquiries will continue to involve armed officers.
“Those people were not located and police will continue to make further enquiries in regards to their whereabouts,” police said in an update. Officers also said that there is not believed to be any threat to public safety at this time.
Questions about the Leicester Ave police operation
Why was Leicester Ave blocked off by police?
Police blocked Leicester Ave in Tamatea on Thursday afternoon as a precaution while conducting an operation to locate people of interest.
Were the people of interest located during the search?
No, police confirmed just after 4pm that those individuals were not found, though authorities will continue making further inquiries into their whereabouts.
Was Tamatea Primary School put into lockdown?
No lockdown was required, and the school informed parents that children were safe while staff monitored the situation.
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