Conflicts in Tairāwhiti

A significant Police operation has begun across Tairāwhiti, following several concerning incidents stemming from tensions between rival gangs.

Eight incidents, involving assaults and firearms, have been reported between 16 March and 23 March. Police and gang leaders have been working to ease tensions, but an escalation in the conflict between rival gang members has forced us to draw on additional powers.
Yesterday afternoon, Police were issued a Gang Conflict Warrant under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act, giving Police special powers to search vehicles and occupants of vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms and weapons, and vehicles.

Officers from across the district are supporting the operation, which will involve a heavy Police presence in Gisborne and further afield. Our focus, and the focus of all staff, is the safety of our communities. The incidents we’ve been made aware of posed a very real threat to the lives of those involved, and innocent members of the public. We’re not going to tolerate it.

We are continuing to work with gang leadership while sending a clear message to all gang members that they are in our spotlight.
Additional Police will be patrolling communities across Tairāwhiti, stopping vehicles with links to gang members, searching addresses, and progressing enquiries into the recent events of concern.

We want to assure our Tairāwhiti communities that we are driving this hard and will be committing significant resources to holding gang members accountable for their actions.

Police need the community to help us, and people can do that by reporting illegal or suspicious activity, by calling police on 111 if it’s happening now, or making a report via 105 if it’s after the fact.

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🌟 We are now recruiting volunteers at Citizens Advice Bureau Nelson Tasman! 🌟

Lenka Caslavska from Citizens Advice Bureau Nelson Tasman

If you are curious about volunteering with us, we would love to hear from you! Training includes supported learning and time alongside an experienced mentor.
“I was surprised by the professionalism of the training. I learned so much about our community, and the support from my mentor helped me find my feet.”
– CAB volunteer
As a CAB volunteer, no two days are the same. One moment you might be helping someone understand their rights after buying something, another you might simply be listening while someone works through a tricky situation. We do not tell people what to do – we help them understand their options and find what works best for them.
While our website is available anytime, many people really value talking with someone face to face. That is why our local offices matter so much.
📍 Our current opening times:
• Richmond (main office), 9a Cambridge Street: Monday to Thursday, 9am-4.30pm
• Nelson: Mondays and Fridays, 9am-4.30pm, sharing space with Age Concern, 18 Bridge Street
• Motueka: Thursdays, 9.30am–1pm at the Motueka Library (reopening soon!)
To offer this free service to everyone in our community, we rely on well-trained volunteers.
To receive an information pack please contact us on:
📧 Email nelsontasman@cab.org.nz
📞 Phone 03 548 2117
Training begins in March 💛