There’s been another armed standoff in North Shore, this time in the suburb of Glenfield.

Armed police have led a man out of an Auckland house in handcuffs after the property and surrounding streets were put in lockdown this morning. Camrose Place in Glenfield, on Auckland’s North Shore, was swarmed by armed police just after 10am after reports of a man assaulted at a house there.

About ten police cars, including unmarked detective’s cars and Armed Offender Squad vehicles were called to the area – with the whole street cordoned off and patrolled by armed police.” source

A 53 year old man was later taken into police custody.

Childcare centres also placed in lockdown

The man who was the victim of the alleged assault received medical treatment and had been taken to North Shore Hospital for a check up.

Earlier on Wednesday the area was in lockdown, including daycare centres and schools, while police hunted for the suspect. Two childcare centres on Camrose Pl had gone into lockdown. Centre manager Kim Baynham said a police officer told centre staff to get the children inside.

Armed police officers were patrolling the street and the Armed Offenders Squad arrived shortly before 12pm, Baynham said.

Camrose Kids has two centres, one on the corner of Camrose Pl and Glenfield Road and one at 4 Camrose Pl. In total 133 children were at the centres. Baynham said the children were inside, the doors were locked and centre employees were working to notify parents… source

Responses by the Armed Offenders Squad are becoming disturbingly commonplace in the North Shore, home to many migrant families from Europe and Asia.

Slasher at railway station

Also in today’s New Zealand news is the apparently random slashing of a commuter at Waikanae railway station, Wellington.

Wellington police are huntig for a man (above) suspected of slashing a complete stranger in the forehead on the platform at Waikanae railway station. The 31-year-old victim, who suffered a gash to his head, did not know his attacker, who ran off across State Highway 1 and may later have boarded a southbound train, police said on Wednesday...read more

Readers may remember that Waikanae (population <10,000 people) was the scene of a home invasion last year, when two elderly people were attacked in their own residence by a 17 year old youth.

Five days ago a man was found guilty for the running-over, rape and stabbing murder of Filipino migrant Blesilda Gotingco. Ms Gotingco was attacked as she walked home from a bus stop one evening in the North Shore suburb of Birkdale. The man admitted he was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the attack.

Also, five days ago – Indian student Parmita Rani was stabbed to death in front of shocked students in the classroom of an international college in Auckland city centre.

These incidents may come as a surprise to anyone who believes New Zealand is a safe place to live, scarcely a day goes by without similar stories in the press. Unfortunately for the many good people who live there, the country is fast gaining a reputation abroad for its drug use and a culture of violence and brutality. It’s little wonder that people are becoming unhappy living there and feeling anxious about the safety of their loved ones.