Officers at Kaikohe mob scene 'within 3 minutes'

Officers arrived at the site of a mob attack in the Northland town of Kaikohe within minutes of an emergency call, the Police Minister says.

Northland police are promising to step up patrols in Kaikohe in response to the weekend crime spree, in which a group of children stole beer from a local liquor store and about 20 youngsters tried to kick in the glass doors of the local Mobil station.

Inspector Al Symonds said there would be an increased police presence in Kaikohe over the next few weekends.

Kaikohe community patrol co-ordinator Tony Taylor said on Monday that only five police officers were working in the mid-north area that night.

But Mrs Bennett told Morning Report 10 officers were in the region on Friday night and seven after midnight.

"The commissioner tells me that on that particular night it was St Patricks Day and they were expecting a few more at some of the pubs so they had deployed to different areas."

Two officers arrived at the Mobil station within three minutes of a 111 emergency call, she said.

Mr Taylor said today he had met with police and believed they were on the right track in dealing with the problem.

"This incident on Friday night was actually the catalyst and hopefully what comes out of it should be good for Kaikohe and actually good for other small towns where there are youth problems," he told Morning Report.

Mrs Bennett said police had told her they were managing with the number of officers they had, but the incident proved the government was doing the right thing by increasing police numbers.

Northland police have now now dealt with five teenage boys over the weekend events.

Inspector Symonds said a woman took her two sons into the police station yesterday to admit their part in the rampage.

The boys, 14 and 15 years old, have been referred to Youth Aid for shoplifting and wilful damage.

Another boy was dealt with after a relative gave the police his name and two others were caught on the night.