And several Hawke's Bay police officers Stuff have spoken to say it is business as usual, with one saying "the level of crime was no worse than any other day of the year". "But to be honest this is the sort of thing we'd expect whenever there is a significant power cut. "On top of the cyclone we're dealing with business as usual, with all the usual family harm and alcohol-related violence events," one said. Photo: RNZ / Angus DreaverMitchell said he was not exaggerating the level of crime being experienced in the region. Police acknowledged concerns in the area around burglaries and other theft, and said, while it was "natural" such offending could happen after the cyclone, reports of such crime were not significantly larger than before the cyclone.

Source: Stuff February 24, 2023 04:12 UTC