Residents of the small town of Wairoa in Hawke's Bay are on edge following a disturbing incident over the weekend.
A police car was shot at on Saturday night, and now two men are set to appear in Gisborne Court on Monday in connection with the incident.
The shooting has sent shockwaves throughout the community, as the town continues to grapple with the cleanup following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little has condemned the shooting, calling those responsible "lowlifes" who need to be dealt with harshly. Little spoke to Rachel Smalley on Monday morning and explained what extra support the region is getting from the police.
"[We have seen] huge numbers of police, Wairoa already had a little bit of gang issue before, with Cyclone Gabriele, police really hit us big time. They were well aware of the situation and that they were doing as much as they can," Little said.
Smalley asked Little who he believes is responsible for the post-cyclone crimes, whether it's purely criminal intent, or if it's desperation.
"I'm not sure, people are talking about it.
"There's not much crime happening in Wairoa, but this shooting is not good at all, police have been working around the clock to keep the town safe."
Little described the crime situation as incredibly disappointing.
Rachel Smalley and Craig Little go on to discuss how the Government's business support package will help support the township, listen to the full interview above.
You can also download the full interview on the Tova podcast, and listen on the go.
