Several schools in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa were placed under a temporary lockdown on Friday afternoon as police carried out an operation in the area.
According to a report by Stuff, police said the lockdowns were introduced as a safety measure while officers investigated a vehicle linked to ongoing inquiries.
A police spokesperson said the lockdowns were implemented “as a precaution” while officers made inquiries into “a vehicle of interest,” as quoted by Stuff.
James Cook High School informed parents through its website that the school had entered lockdown and urged them not to come to the campus or contact the school office until the situation had been resolved.
Nearby Manurewa South School also confirmed the precautionary measure, saying “something happening in the community” had led police and the Ministry of Education to advise schools to go into lockdown, Stuff has reported.
The precautionary lockdowns remained in place for part of the afternoon before being lifted at around 4 p.m.
Following the operation, the police spokesperson said there would continue to be an increased police presence in the area as investigations progressed, as reported by Stuff.