09 February 2011
A newly created Police unit tasked with providing a rapid response to developing crime trends has had its first success just hours into their new role following an armed standoff in Hamilton on Monday night.
Hamilton City Deployment Manager, Inspector Karen Henrikson, said officers were called to a Maeroa address after reports a man armed with a shotgun was threatening self-harm and that two young children were in the house.
"The area was cordoned off by the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad and Police negotiators secured the man's surrender. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and referred on for psychiatric assessment.
"Follow up queries were conducted by the City's new Crime Prevention Unit and a 'P' pipe and a compressor unit, believed to have been stolen, were found in the house as well as a plastic bin containing about $30,000 in cash."
Ms Henrikson said subsequent enquiries led Police to another location where quantities of cannabis and a variety of property, again believed to have been stolen, was recovered. This included alloy wheels, a laptop computer, a television and surround sound system, a Wii and a Playstation.
"Another two firearms were also located including a sawn-off shotgun and we're waiting for an opportunity to interview the man once his assessment has been completed.
"The CPU was created to provide us an ability to inject staff into problem areas, over the past holiday period we managed a 36 per cent drop in the number of reported residential burglaries and this new unit is just one new initiative we're implementing to build on those inroads."
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