Police 'concerned at prevalence of firearms' in society amid shootings

Goff said the number of gun crimes in the region was undermining its residents' right to feel safe.

In a statement, Assistant Police Commissioner Sandra Venables said police had no tolerance for gun violence in the community and significant arrests had been made in relation to gang tensions.

"Police has been very open this year around some of the behaviours from organised crime groups using firearms against one another and we also note significant arrests have been made in relation to these gang tensions," she said.

"Police have also seen excellent results following the launch of Operation Tauwhiro. As of September, 987 firearms had been seized, nearly $5 million in cash seized and 865 arrests made."

She said the eyes and ears of people in the community could provide important help and she was encouraging people to report suspicious or illegal activity.

"The issue of firearms within our communities is not just confined to a single region. Police are generally concerned at the prevalence of firearms being used within certain groups in our society."

There has been a 49 percent increase in injuries recorded as a result of firearms crime in Auckland city over the past year and a half, compared with the two years previous.