Labour’s Peeni Henare says an inquiry into the allegations that emerged following the police raids in Ōpōtiki is needed to establish exactly what happened during the operation.

Meanwhile, Police Minister Mark Mitchell has denied allegations young children were left alone during the raids but called on those with allegations and concerns to take them to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) to be investigated.

A police operation in late October in targeted homes suspected to be connected to the Mongrel Mob following what police had described as an increase in occurrences of violent crime.

Police executed 30 search warrants “targeting identified people believed to be involved in a North Island-wide drug distribution network”. Twenty-eight people were arrested.

Several allegations about police conduct have since emerged, including that young children were left alone and a kuia said she and her daughter-in-law were subjected to strip searches.

Labour’s Peeni Henare said there should “most definitely” be an inquiry into what happened during the police operations and to the allegations.

“This is an important matter. To get to the bottom of these things, why don’t we set up a process to make sure that they can be investigated properly? One that has the kind of public scrutiny that we expect, one that would be far more engaged than just police interviews.

“If the stories are proven to be correct, then I think we should do something far greater than just interviewing the minister - it should be something that looks at the conduct of police and exactly what’s gone on in Ōpōtiki.”

Mitchell said he had not asked police specifically about strip searching but would do.

Labour MP Peeni Henare. Photo / George Heard

“I will go back to police and ask them about this but my sense of it is the police have stuck to all of their standard operating procedures.”

Mitchell said he had also been alerted to allegations a 3-year-old was left in the house for several hours and that three children were left at school after both parents were arrested and no arrangements were made. Of both allegations, he said that was “absolutely not the case.”

He said: “From what I understand, the police have done an outstanding job there. They have gone in there, they haven’t escalated, they’re very sensitive and aware of these children in homes.”

“Because I have gone back and checked with police. Definitely, none of the information that has come forward has been supported at all so I would suggest they take it to the IPCA.”

Mitchell was asked if children were considered collateral damage. He said: “They are collateral damage because they are living in gang houses with guns, and cannabis and violence and that is not good.

“As long as they continue to live in houses, I think, that are gang houses, I don’t feel that is a good environment for children. And we should be doing something about it. Iwi agree with me that they don’t want to see their tamariki living in gang houses.”

Speaking at his post-Cabinet press conference, Luxon was asked about the reports of a 3-year-old child being put in the back of a police vehicle during a recent gang-linked police raid in Ōpōtiki, while their mother and grandmother were handcuffed by officers.

Luxon said it was “not acceptable” if those reports were accurate but was quick to add the behaviour of gangs was “utterly unacceptable”. Mitchell also said he had not been briefed about the toddler being put by herself into the back of a police car.

“Clearly that’s not what we want to see happen and it would be great if the children could be better looked after but the reality is we’re going to be tough on gangs, we are going to harass gangs.”

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Luxon said he had sought more information about the allegation and there “was no point as I understand it where children were left alone.”

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.