Flooded Police cars don't stop Whakatane Police from getting the job done

Despite the fact that Whakatane Police had floodwaters lapping at the doors of the station and a number of Police cars were flood damaged, Police staff still worked through the night to assist in the evacuation of residents across the region.

Eastern Bay of Plenty Acting Area Commander, Inspector Greg Sparrow, says staff either started their shift early or continued their late shift to work through the night to assist with the flood relief operation.

Inspector Sparrow says staff from other Areas in the Bay of Plenty Police District were also available to be deployed to the Whakatane area if the need had arisen.

"We do plan for these situations and by and large, the operation went smoothly," he says.

"Our main focus is always about ensuring public safety, so the evacuation of residents was a priority for Police. However, our business as usual operations continued as well.

"I am pleased with the Police efforts overnight. Our staff went out there and did their job and they did it well.

"As with any event like this, we will undertake a full debrief along with our partners, such as the Whakatane District Council and other emergency services, and this will help inform our planning for the future."

Inspector Sparrow says Police staff had some four-wheel drive vehicles available which were used in the operation.

He says a number of Police cars were damaged by flood waters – one seriously – and there was minor damage to the Police station building.

Inspector Sparrow says Eastern Bay Police will continue to assist with the flood relief efforts in the coming days.

He urges anyone driving in the area to take care as some roads are down to one lane in places due to slips, and there is a large amount of debris still on the roads.