Hoax police call angers police, Auckland woman charged

An Auckland woman has been charged after making a hoax phone call to the police, sparking an emergency response in Conifer Grove last night.

Police rushed to Cunningham Place before 9.30pm after a firearms incident was reported.

Hato Hone St John area operations manager Haydn Drake said the “prank” call may have delayed ambulances responding to life-threatening incidents.

“Fictitious calls, such as the one that allegedly occurred in Conifer Grove... can impact on the service that Hato Hone St John provides to the community, meaning responses to genuinely life-threatening calls may be delayed.

“Due to the nature of the Conifer Grove call, it was initially given a high-priority response, and several Emergency Ambulance Service vehicles were deployed based on information that multiple patients were involved.

“We stood those vehicles down from the incident as soon as it was confirmed by our colleagues at NZ Police that the call was an alleged prank, but time and ambulance resources were allocated to this event when they may have been required to respond to other emergencies around the city.”

Counties Manukau South area commander Inspector Joe Hunter said police are incredibly frustrated over the hoax call.

“There are no other words for this callous behaviour and let this be a reminder that anyone identified making such calls could themselves be facing prosecution.”

A 29-year-old woman will appear today in the Papakura District Court, charged with using a phone for fictitious purposes.

Hunter said frontline staff were quickly on the scene and it was established an incident had not occurred.

“We take any incident involving firearms or firearms violence incredibly seriously.

“Like our community, police are concerned when these incidents occur, and we will continue to respond in an urgent manner.”