Police have defended an operation seeking a potentially armed man in Lowburn last week following criticism their communication with the public was poor.
Bob Scott, of Lowburn, contacted the Otago Daily Times this week to say he disagreed with some Lowburn residents who had previously praised the efforts of police during the manhunt on November 8.
``Whilst everyone appreciates that the police have a very difficult job to do and that they have to treat such incidents with every possible caution, the communication from the police to Lowburn residents was far from satisfactory.
``There was no warning to any of the residents from the police that they had set up a cordon and no instructions from the police to remain indoors. Indeed the first indication that we had as residents of Lowburn was when we left our house and were confronted with armed officers who had set up a road block on Lowburn Valley Rd.
``The police officer who checked us through the cordon was very intimidating and refused to give us any information as to why the cordon had been set up.''
Some residents spoken to by the Otago Daily Times last week praised the efforts of police and said they understood the reasons behind the inconvenience of being locked into their homes or out of their area. They said they had phoned neighbours to check they were safe, and moved farm staff out of remote areas.
But Mr Scott, who lives less than a minute away from the Lowburn Rd cordon, said other residents were ``blissfully unaware of the situation unless they had been telephoned by friends or relatives.
``The police told us that there had been reports posted on the internet, but there was a power outage in the area at the time and internet coverage had failed.
``A brief explanation from a police officer would not have taken long and would have set minds at rest and prevented speculation from the local residents as to what was actually happening''.
Mr Scott said an officer had told him if he left the cordon, he could not return for 1-2 hours.
``When we returned, we were again told that there would be a delay of two hours before we would be allowed home.
``Eventually after six hours we were spoken to by a senior police officer who gave an apology for the inconvenience, but did not give any further details other than to say that they had not made any arrests but they considered it now safe to return to our homes.''
Otago Lakes Central Area Commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said police understood ``the worry and inconvenience experienced by some in Lowburn last week, and must stress that police's primary objective is to keep people safe. We endeavour to make sure where possible all affected members of the public during an ongoing incident are aware of what is required in order for them to stay safe''.
William Hillis Cottle (19), retailer, of Mosgiel, faces several charges in relation to the incident.
He is charged with reckless driving which allegedly took place on Dunedin's George St on November 6, as well as intentionally damaging a Mitsubishi Triton with reckless disregard for the safety of two people.
The following day, it is alleged he intentionally damaged a car window, assaulted the car's owner with intent to injure him, and had possession of an axe on Watson St.
It is understood Cottle has also been charged with possessing a firearm in relation to his activities in Central Otago.
