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Dominico Zapata/Stuff
The Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs have long had a presence in the northern Hawke’s Bay district.
Ongoing gang tensions are believed to be behind three separate firearms incidents in Wairoa early on Monday morning.
Police were called to Clyde Rd, Queen St and Kiwi Rd between midnight and 2.30am on Monday after reports of a firearm being discharged.
No injuries were reported.
“Police information suggests these incidents are related to ongoing gang tensions,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.
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“The public should be reassured these matters are being investigated as a priority, in line with our commitment through Operation Kotare.”
Earlier this month, two suspicious house fires and shots fired at a car on Wairoa’s main street were linked to gang tensions and prompted the town’s mayor to call for calm.
The Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs have long had a presence in the northern Hawke’s Bay district, with flare-ups between the two occurring sporadically for decades.
JOHN COWPLAND
Police are uncertain what has caused the escalation in gang violence in Hawke’s Bay.
Police said in early February they were stepping up their presence in Eastern District, from East Cape to southern Hawke’s Bay, for six months to tackle ongoing crime and gang concerns under “Operation Kōtare”.
They planned to focus on the disruption, suppression, and prevention of unlawful behaviour involving gangs.
More police have also arrived in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, carrying out reassurance patrols in flood-affected areas.
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