KEY POINTS:
Police are crediting the media for their part in the search for Gemma Williams, who was found safe and well yesterday after being missing for nine days.
The 11-year-old had run away from her aunt's house in Mt Roskill on June 26 after she was caught smoking.
She had lived with Marianne Tarawa for only a short time after moving from Pukekohe because of family reasons.
The officer in charge of the case, Sergeant Steve Williams of Balmoral police, said he responded to a call from a member of the public who had seen Gemma.
He found her walking on a Mt Albert street, close to where she was living in Mt Roskill, with a female family member, about 7.40pm yesterday.
Mr Williams said Gemma gave herself up. "She was quite resigned, which I thought she was going to be. I think she was aware her picture had been plastered around the media. If it wasn't for the media, the search could have taken a lot longer. Thank you to everyone who has helped in the search."
Mr Williams said he had feared for Gemma's safety during the search.
"She was in a lot better state than what I thought she could have been.
"It's was quite a relief to find her. Someone at her age could have fallen among the wrong crowd."
He was yet to talk to her about where she had been for the past week and a half and would also be speaking to family organisations. The search for the girl intensified yesterday with a police helicopter hovering over Mt Albert to support ground officers.
Since Gemma's disappearance, a team of about 30 search and rescue staff and members of her family, including her mother, had scoured central-city parks and Pukekohe.
It appeared she had taken only a black bag with a spare pair of jeans when she ran away.
