Police will deal with 'ratbags and renegades' setting up roadblocks and checks

Seven Sharp look into what is and isn’t legal as people take the law into their own hands

Checkpoints and roadblocks set up by "ratbags and renegades" will be seen to by police, says Police Minister Stuart Nash after National MPs raised concerns around unofficial checkpoints set up around the country. 

Appearing in front of the Covid-19 select committee today, Stuart Nash was questioned about the unofficial checkpoints and roadblocks set up around the country to enforce lockdown rules. 

National MP Anne Tolley told 1 NEWS of a 70-year-old constituent from Maketu in the Bay of Plenty, who informed her yesterday he was not allowed past a checkpoint set up close to Mongrel Mob dwellings.

Police later clarified this was not the case - the community checkpoint was not gang-affiliated, his travel was deemed non essential and was not allowed under Level 4 restrictions.

When asked about this during the select committee, Mr Nash said he did not have the full details of the circumstance but that was "certainly not appropriate". 

"Where these checkpoints can operate is with the blessing of police local community local stakeholders, I am quite happy for them to happen.

"Where they are set up by ratbags and renegades without the support of the local community and police, then police will take this very seriously."

"When people are trying to block main arterial routes, that's not on," Mr Nash said. 

East Coast MP Anne Tolley said there had been many roadblocks and checkpoints set up in her electorate, saying police needed to clarify the "grey area" around the rules. 

"People are looking to protect their communities," she said.

"The motive is good, my concern is the police need to be taking control of them and being very clear, so not just any local group are enabled to set up a roadblock."

She said the approval from police for some had seen others believe they can "take law into their own hands too... because it’s a grey area it emboldens and enables others". 

"My fear is that as we go down the lockdown levels it's going to get worse."

Mrs Tolley said as people increase travel between work and school, communities may be "more determined after lockdown wanting to keep themselves safe".

She said if police did not "sort this out and take ownership of it", communities may see more issues around unofficial roadblocks and checkpoints. 

Mr Nash said most cases were checkpoints rather than roadblocks.

"Police cannot authorise road blocks. My understanding is no road block has been authorised by National Emergency Management Agency."

When asked by ACT's David Seymour if police had cleared any illegal checkpoints, Mr Nash said they had "certainly dealt with them in a way that I think is appropriate, police very keen to ensure no one has broken the law". 

1 NEWS has requested comment from police. 

Last week, former Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira spoke to 1 NEWS about the Tai Tokerau Borders Control in the Far North, which runs road checkpoints in communities to try and stop the spread of Covid-19.

Tourists travelling north will be halted on State Highway One north of Whangarei.

Iwi dressed in PPE pull cars over, question where they are going and attempt to turn them around if they are found to be breaking the lockdown rules.

Mr Harawira said they were there to protect vulnerable communities and too many people are leaving their bubble to visit other towns to visit whānau or do their shopping - after Northland MP Matt King said he had received complaints from people who felt "intimidated, bullied and threatened".

Matt King says he has fielded numerous complaints from people who feel threatened.

Mr Harawira disputed those claims. 

He said most people were happy to be stopped, however others were rude, some driving drive straight through and a few even running over the road cones.

Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said at the time police work close with those running community checkpoints. 

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