From Wednesday, police will temporarily base themselves at a shopping centre in Mount Maunganui in Tauranga as they investigate a string of violent attacks by groups of teens in the area.
Police will be at Bayfair Shopping Centre for the next six weeks so they can quickly respond to any further violence.
It comes after a number of incidents in the suburb of Arataki. In one incident, a video showed two girls on the ground trying to defend themselves as they were set upon. In another incident, a mother was attacked after she tried to help her son and his friends.
The mother, Karen Church, said the group started punching, pushing, yelling, swearing at her.
“It's just that these kids are still hanging around and still intimidating the kids.”
She urged police to not let the groups of teens get away with their actions.
1 NEWS also spoke to some Countdown staff who said the violent and unprovoked attacks were frightening. They're so concerned they're moving their cars during their shift to be closer to the exits for when they leave at night.
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller said the situation was “really, quite frankly, very, very frightening for families and the wider community”.
“We're having kids on skate parks being absolutely smacked by people. Young women, 13, 14, 15-year-olds being seven on one, eight on one.”
Western Bay of Plenty police said they've set up the base on 19 Girven Road to help people feel safe, Inspector Clifford Paxton said.
“It’s important to note that recent issues cannot be solved by Police alone – we are working alongside the community and our partners, including Bayfair, to find a solution and help ensure everyone feels safe," he said.
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