Western Bay of Plenty Police are disappointed at the content including racist comments posted on what was purported to be a Mt Maunganui New Year's Eve Facebook site.
Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair, acting Area Commander, said police were looking into the site and had followed up on a post from a witness to an alleged assault on a young woman.
At this stage no incident fitting that description had been reported to Police. Police were also looking into a video of what appeared to be an assault taking place during an altercation between two groups.
Inspector Wright-St Clair said: “Police have worked hard over the years together with Tauranga City Council and other community partners to make this event a family friendly one.
“The comments on the Facebook site will be part of the event debrief. If there are lessons to be learned from the information on the site, and from the community then this will be taken into account for next year’s planning.”
Inspector Wright-St Clair said that the mix of alcohol and young people was still the number one contributor to violence and disorder on New Year’s Eve in the area. Pre-loading for events such as this was a factor and will be looked into at the debrief.
“We encourage anyone who was the victim of a crime or who witnessed any offending at the event to come forward and speak to Police. Specialist services are also available to assist victims who may need support or assistance.”
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Media note: Inspector Wright-St Clair is not available for interviews today.