New Lynn, Henderson bus station assaults: Children as young as 10 arrested

Police have arrested a group of children, some aged as young as 10, for a spate of aggravated robberies and violent attacks at West Auckland town centres.

Inspector Kelly Farrant said police have arrested 10 children as part of their investigations into the incidents, which comes on top of four arrests in May.

Farrant said police and other authorities had beefed up their presence around New Lynn and Henderson after incidents including an attack on a schoolboy waiting for his parents outside Green Bay High School, an alleged assault of a boy inside McDonald’s and 20 kids setting upon a young schoolgirl.

Auckland Transport, Auckland One Rail, Auckland Council, Community Patrols New Zealand, Whau Pacific Wardens and the Tāmaki Makarau Safety Patrol have all been involved in putting more time into keeping the areas safe, Farrant said.

“Police shared our community’s concern at the spike and level of violent behaviour taking place in these areas,” she said.

”Our response was threefold: enforcement, prevention, and investigation.

“While our investigations staff were working tirelessly to identify those responsible, Operation Haumaru saw police and our partners come together to provide reassurance.”

Police were still seeing a “small group” of young people allegedly doing a lot of harm to the community.

“Police are continuing to do our part in responding to a wider set of issues around why our young people are engaging in offending,” Farrant said.

”It’s not an issue solely that lands at police’s feet. We will continue to work with our partners across other agencies and services to respond collectively.”

Police arrested four young people in May after several aggravated robberies and assaults across New Lynn, Henderson and Westgate.

Police said the group was responsible for “the bulk of the recent offending in the wider New Lynn area” - though it was not known if they were involved in the Green Bay assault.