December 08, 2021
Police and iwi checkpoints to run 24/7
Police say they’re rostering 74 staff to operate two new Northland checkpoints once the borders around Tāmaki Makaurau are lifted on 15 December.
Northland district commander Superintendent Tony Hill says checkpoints at State Highway 1 at Uretiti and State Highway 12 near Maungaturoto will initially operate 24/7 before police move to random checkpoints and spot checks across the district.
Police will stop vehicles and iwi in the form of Tai Tokerau Border Control will check for vaccine passes or proof of a negative COVID19 test.
Superintendent Hill says the checkpoints will not stop every car and will not hold up traffic unnecessarily or impede essential travel.
Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis says criticism of the involvement of iwi in the checkpoints is racist, as they are people willing to give up summer activities with their whānau to keep the community safe.
But New Zealand First MP Winston Peters says the fact the government has needed to pass legislation in order to make illegal, vigilante, iwi-run roadblocks is a serious deviation from the foundation of democracy of one law for all.