KEY POINTS:
Police in Gisborne have taken the unusual step of releasing details and mug shots of the region's 10 "most wanted" criminals to the local paper.
Area commander Inspector Waata Shepherd said the move was to assist in tracking down wanted individuals and one that had not been taken lightly.
If it helped to bring some criminals back before the courts, it was worth it, he said.
Some of the people named and shamed in The Gisborne Herald have been the subject of warrants for arrest since last year.
Mr Shepherd said the list of charges between the those on the list was long and serious and included violence, and in some cases there was a concern for public safety.
"These people are failing to make themselves accountable for their actions and there is concern about people's safety because of that," he said.
"There is a criminal justice system, the law of the land that people need to abide by.
"They have been through a process where they know they have to appear in court for an offence, so they must know that if they fail to appear, then warrants get issued. They are well aware of it.
- NZPA
