Statement from Mayor David Moore

Wednesday afternoon 14 June

There was a very large convoy to and from the crematorium earlier today and there has been a huge Police presence along the route and in both towns.

I have been working hard with all parties behind the scenes and the Police have been active and engaged, reassuring the community with numbers and with their actions.

I know they have a big team working on the homicide investigation, and we all hope to get a result to give some closure to the grieving whānau.

We expect things to return to normal for the rest of the community over the coming few days as our visitors leave town.

Tuesday morning 13 June

It has been a tough few days for our small community and our thoughts are with the whānau and friends of Steven Taiatini as they grieve.

Because of the open police homicide investigation and additional visitors to town for the tangi, I appreciate the concern from some members of our community. I want to reassure you that Police, Whakatōhea, council, community leaders and other agencies are joined up and working together, bringing more Police resource to town, listening to the concerns of the community, and making sure that the safety and support of our people comes first. We trust Police to continue to work hard on their investigation and provide some closure for the whānau.

I would like to thank everyone involved and the wider community on the periphery for their continued patience, calm and compassion at this time.

David Moore