Emergency responders in Auckland are facing a dangerous new challenge after a series of targeted attacks left multiple ambulances inoperable, with some crews discovering the damage only as they attempted to respond to priority medical emergencies.
Police have launched an appeal for information after ambulances’ tyres slashed in Auckland for the second time in less than two months. In both instances, offenders gained illegal access to secure St John station compounds to disable vehicles intended for life-saving work.
The most recent breach occurred on April 9 at the Hato Hone St John Ōtāhuhu Station on Atkinson Avenue. This incident follows a strikingly similar attack on February 28 at the Manukau Station, where five tyres across three different vehicles were deliberately destroyed.
Across the two events, a total of six ambulances were rendered useless, forcing the emergency service to shuffle resources to cover critical gaps in the city’s medical response network.
A critical risk to patient care
The nature of the vandalism has sparked outrage among emergency services due to the timing of the discoveries. In the Manukau incident, police revealed that staff only realized their vehicle had been sabotaged while they were in the process of responding to a priority call.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward described the offending as “extremely reckless,” noting that the sabotage did not just damage equipment but directly endangered the public.
“This sort of offending is extremely reckless, given the ambulances were rendered inoperable,” Hayward said. “It’s thoughtless and risks the lives of anyone who required urgent medical care during the period that ambulances were out of action.”
For the paramedics on the ground, the discovery of a slashed tyre during a priority dispatch creates a chaotic delay in a situation where seconds often determine patient outcomes. When a vehicle is found to be inoperable at the moment of departure, the system must rely on the next available unit, which may be significantly further away.
Operational impact on Auckland’s emergency system
The disruption extends beyond the immediate cost of repairs. Angela Jardine, the acting Auckland district operations manager for Hato Hone St John, emphasized that these attacks strike at the heart of the community’s safety infrastructure.
Jardine characterized the damage as “serious and unacceptable,” explaining that ambulances are a critical component of the broader emergency response system. She noted that the loss of vehicles from the active fleet has the potential to delay care for patients in desperate need of urgent medical help.
The operational frustration is compounded by the fact that the offenders managed to breach the stations’ compounds, suggesting a level of persistence or planning in the break-ins.
Summary of Auckland Station Incidents
| Date | Location | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| February 28 | Manukau Station | 3 ambulances, 5 tyres slashed |
| April 9 | Ōtāhuhu Station | Ambulances disabled via tyre slashing |
| Total | 2 Stations | 6 ambulances affected |
Police investigation and community appeal
Investigators are currently “keeping an open mind” regarding whether the two break-ins are the work of the same individual or group. However, the similarity in method—illegal entry followed by the targeted slashing of tyres—has led police to treat the cases with high priority.
Authorities are now calling on the public to assist in identifying the perpetrators. Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward believes that someone within the local community likely knows who is responsible for the attacks on the ambulances’ tyres slashed in Auckland.
“There will be people in the community who know who is responsible, and they need to do the right thing and arrive forward,” Hayward said.
Anyone with information regarding the break-ins at the Manukau or Ōtāhuhu stations is urged to contact the New Zealand Police by calling the non-emergency number 105.
The investigation remains ongoing, with police reviewing security footage and forensic evidence from both station compounds to determine how the offenders gained access to the secure areas.
Disclaimer: This report contains information regarding criminal activity and public safety. For emergency medical assistance in New Zealand, always dial 111.
Police have not yet provided a date for further updates but are continuing to seek witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity around Atkinson Avenue or the Manukau station perimeter during the dates in question.
We invite readers to share this story to help spread the police appeal. If you have information, please contact the authorities directly.
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