Northland Police denies spike in violent crime after police car shooting and drive-by shooting

Northland Police says there doesn't appear to be a spike in violent crime, armed police seen here as they investigate the Puketona police car shooting last month. Photo / File

Northland Police says there isn't a spike in violent crime despite two shooting events in less than three weeks.

On October 27, two men allegedly carried out a shocking crime spree which included shooting at a police officer at close range, a kidnapping, a car torching and possibly also a series of shop ram-raids.

The officer escaped injury but the patrol car windscreen was peppered with shot from the shotgun blast on Puketona Rd, off State Highway 10 south of Kerikeri. The two men are still at large.

Begbie acknowledged policing was an inherently dangerous job. Photo / File

Eleven days later, two people were injured in a drive-by shooting just north of Kaitaia. The two victims were parked on the side of the road at the intersection of Inland Rd and Lake Ohia Flood Bypass Rd, Lake Ohia, when another car approached them.

The occupants of the "passing dark-coloured, possibly four-door motor vehicle" presented firearms, and fired several shots at the two victims. One victim was hit in his left leg and the other victim on his right foot. Fortunately, their injuries were not life-threatening.

In a statement, relieving Northland Police District Commander Detective Inspector Dene Begbie said police were "not immediately aware of any significant increase in violent crime in our district".

Relieving Northland Police District Commander Detective Inspector Dene Begbie (left). Photo / Tania Whyte

Referencing the Puketona shooting, Begbie acknowledged the concern that incident had caused for officers and the wider community.

"Policing is an inherently dangerous job and for that reason we want to ensure our staff are well-equipped and trained to deal with any situations they may encounter.

"We constantly review processes and tactical options to ensure they keep both our staff and communities safe."

With an increasing trend of potentially criminal incidents being discussed on social media platforms, Begbie encouraged the public to report any incident to police in the first instance.

"In situations where a person might come across a social media posting showing criminal activity, we ask that they report it to police as soon as possible," he said.

"In other cases, police have found matters are posted on social media before they are reported to police and investigated."