Please attribute to Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson:
Police are continuing to monitor the movements of gang members travelling south towards Foxton ahead of funeral proceedings for William Hines.
This morning, Police established checkpoints on Marua Road in Ellerslie, as the procession were preparing to depart.
A large number of Police were deployed to the checkpoints prior to the group leaving Auckland.
Several infringement notices were issued and one person failed an alcohol breath screening test.
The Police helicopter, Eagle, has been deployed to monitor movements through the roading network and to provide support during this operation in other Police districts.
Our expectations on behaviour have been made clear, and any unlawful or unsafe activity will not be tolerated.
Given the volume of traffic heading south, Police are advising motorists that there may be some disruptions in parts of their journey. We have deployed extra staff to support this operation both on the roads and for its duration.
Our focus is to try and mitigate any disruptions as much as possible.
The safety of the public going about their business is our priority, and we urge anyone who finds themselves in a position where they do not feel safe to contact Police.
While Police will act on any unlawful activity where we can safely do so, we would still like to hear from anyone who may witness any offending taking place.
To report any matters to Police, contact Police on 105 or make a report online by going to https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105.
Please indicate in your report if you have obtained video footage of any offending, so we can follow this up.
Information can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
