Kamo businesses are reeling after witnessing an assault on a police officer who was trying to stop a planned fight among Whangārei schools.

Whangārei’s Acting Area Commander, Inspector Mohammed Atiq, said police were “aware and
monitoring” the planned fight between high school students, and responded to a disorder about 3.40 pm on Friday afternoon in the Kamo centre.

Atiq said pepper spray had to be used while police contained the incident.

“One youth was arrested for disorderly behaviour and another for assaulting a police officer.

“Police are extremely disappointed by the behaviour on display and violence directed towards our staff,” Atiq said. “Thankfully no one was seriously injured and the matter was brought to a conclusion quickly.”

Both those arrested were referred to Youth Aid.

Local worker Maree Sproule said the high number of young people gathering on Friday for the planned brawl was nothing like the usual after-school foot traffic.

“I just felt very frightened by the way that the kids just kept coming,” she said. “They came in droves.”

Groups of between 20 and 50 young people were dotted around the township’s centre and, according to her colleague Monika Dua, it felt as if something “big” was about to happen.

About 2pm, youth began gathering in groups across the centre. There was also a growing teacher and police presence.

The two locals said they watched a few hours later as a community officer was harassed and verbally abused as he attempted to detain a young male, who looked to be about 12 years old.

“They knew nothing could happen to them,” said a witness who did not want to be named. “They have no respect for the law.”

It was at this point the officer was pushed to the ground, where he landed on one knee. He was chased again as he tried to detain the children responsible.

“We thought he was going to get beaten up,” said Dua.

“I’ve been here for 21 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Sproule. “They outnumbered the cops and it’s very sad for our little village.”

Dua said some shops immediately closed their doors with customers inside in an effort to keep the droves of youth at bay. They were concerned for their safety.

“The kids are just out of control,” she said.

It’s not yet known which schools the students attend, but the chair of Te Mānihi Tumuaki Northland Secondary Principals’ Association, Alec Solomon, who is also the principal of Tikipunga High School, said “any time there’s antisocial behaviour” there is a concern for those who aren’t in school.

“I guess there is concern right across the region.”

He said most often those responsible are not “actively engaged” in school, though often there is an “over-simplification” that truancy and school achievement come hand in hand.

“Often attendance challenges are a symptom of wider complexities that are going on for that student.”

Solomon said fixing the issue will come from understanding and addressing the wider complexities.

“We’ve got to get to the cause and not deal around the edges of the symptoms.”