Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says re was reassured by police there was no point in where children were left alone during the Opotiki gang raids. Video / Mark Mitchell
Labour’s Peeni Henare says an inquiry into the allegations that emerged following the police raids in Ōpōtiki is needed to establish exactly what happened during the operation.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Mark Mitchell has denied allegations young children were left alone during the raids, saying those with concerns can take them to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) to be investigated.
The police operation in late October targeted homes in Ōpōtiki suspected to be connected to the Mongrel Mob following what police had described as an increase in occurrences of violent crime.
Allegations about police conduct during the raids have since emerged, including that young children were left alone and that a kuia and her daughter-in-law were subjected to strip searches.
Henare said there should “most definitely” be an inquiry into what happened during the police operations and to the allegations.
“This is an important matter. To get to the bottom of these things, why don’t we set up a process to make sure that they can be investigated properly? One that has the kind of public scrutiny that we expect, one that would be far more engaged than just police interviews.
“If the stories are proven to be correct, then I think we should do something far greater than just interviewing the minister - it should be something that looks at the conduct of police and exactly what’s gone on in Ōpōtiki.”
Labour MP Peeni Henare. Photo / George Heard
Mitchell was asked if anyone was strip-searched during the raid. He had checked with police and said: “There were searches that took place (...) all of those searches were done completely within the current police guidelines and adherence with the warrant that they have.
“The one issue that was raised with me ... there was a female searched which was done by a female police officer in the privacy of a bedroom. That is quite normal when they are executing search warrants and there are people there who could have either weapons or evidence concealed on them.”
He said did not know the female’s age.
After another allegation was raised to him, Mitchell went on to say: “It’s not helpful if you’re out there with all sorts of anecdotal information that needs to be verified ... because that’s how you do start to undermine the police and our police work on a high trust model.”
Mitchell said he had also been alerted to allegations a 3-year-old was left in a house for several hours alone and that three children were left at school after both parents were arrested and no arrangements were made. He said both allegations were “absolutely not the case.”
Mitchell was asked if children were considered collateral damage. He said: “They are collateral damage because they are living in gang houses with guns, and cannabis and violence and that is not good.
“As long as they continue to live in houses, I think, that are gang houses, I don’t feel that is a good environment for children. And we should be doing something about it. Iwi agree with me that they don’t want to see their tamariki living in gang houses.”
Speaking at his post-Cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked about the reports of a 3-year-old child being put in the back of a police vehicle during a recent gang-linked police raid in Ōpōtiki, while their mother and grandmother were handcuffed by officers.
Luxon said it was “not acceptable” if those reports were accurate but was quick to add the behaviour of gangs was “utterly unacceptable”. Mitchell also said he had not been briefed about the toddler being put by herself into the back of a police car.
“Clearly that’s not what we want to see happen and it would be great if the children could be better looked after but the reality is we’re going to be tough on gangs, we are going to harass gangs.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Luxon said he had sought more information about the allegation and there “was no point as I understand it where children were left alone.”
