Wairoa gunshots ‘not OK’

It has been three days since gunshots were fired at the Wairoa police station and an officer’s home but, despite increased patrols, it is business as usual for the town.

Armed response teams from Gisborne and Napier remain in the town. The decision on how long they will stay will be reviewed daily, according to acting eastern district commander Iain Chapman.

A police officer was at home with his family on Saturday night when a single shot was fired at his front door after 11pm.

Two shots were also fired at the police station on Sunday about 9.25pm. No-one was injured in either incident. ‘‘There are no further updates on the situation at this stage but police are still following lines of inquiry. But members of the community have reiterated that this behaviour is not OK,’’ Chapman said.

‘‘This is not something the majority of people in Wairoa want to see in their town, and they are upset and concerned that police have been targeted in such a manner,’’ Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Ford said.

Mayor Craig Little said the town was ‘‘just getting on with it’’ but urged anyone with information to come forward.

‘‘The community doesn’t feel threatened by this, if anything they feel safer,’’ Little said.

‘‘The people of Wairoa are very close, we all get on really well and something like this just brings us closer together.’’

The deputy mayor, Denise Eaglesome-Karekare, said that although the people of Wairoa were ‘‘OK’’ they did not condone what had happened.

‘‘There is a lot of anger towards the perpetrator or perpetrators. The town wants them caught so we can just get on and see this community thrive.

‘‘We are friendly people and we will not let something like this define us.’’

Police Minister Stuart Nash said the attack on Wairoa police was an ‘‘attack on the values of our local community’’.