An imitation firearm, fireworks, a throwing star, bongs, P pipes, drugs and knives have been stopped from entering Hawke’s Bay courtrooms over the past two years.
Ministry of Justice national security operations director Peter Cowan said weapon finds were stable but there was an upward trend in drugs and drug paraphernalia detected at courts, especially methamphetamine.
Cowan said security screening was a condition of entry to the courts, preventing harm by stopping actual or potential weapons from entering courthouses.
“When an illegal item or an offensive weapon is identified, the item is seized, and the person will be detained by court security officers. The item and the person are then handed over to the police.”
In 2024, the Ministry of Justice Hawke’s Bay security team searched 137,516 people entering Napier District and High Courts, Hastings District Court, Waipukurau District Court, Wairoa District Court and Dannevirke District Court, taking 4146 items into temporary custody, with 329 incidents reported and 105 people detained.
That year, Napier’s courts had 179 incidents reported, with 53 people detained, 34 drug-related and 19 weapons-related. Two Napier Court staff members were assaulted.
In the same period, Hastings Court had 124 incidents reported, with 47 people detained, 32 drug-related and 15 weapons-related.
Waipukurau court had three incidents reported with two people detained, one for drugs and one for weapons, while Wairoa court had 12 incidents reported.
Dannevirke had 11 incidents, with six people detained, five for drugs and one for a weapon.
Alcohol, ammunition, methamphetamine, cannabis, gang and drug paraphernalia and weapons like knuckle dusters, knives, pepper spray and kubatons, small self-defence tools that could be attached to a keyring, were among the items stopped from entering the region’s courtrooms.
In 2025, the Ministry of Justice Hawke’s Bay security team searched 143,868 people entering Hawke’s Bay courts, taking 3764 items into temporary custody, with 409 incidents reported and 134 people detained.
In Napier’s courts, there were 227 incidents, 67 people detained, 49 for drugs, 10 for weapons, and eight for other reasons. Four Napier Court staff members were assaulted.
Hastings Court had 142 incidents reported in 2025, with 57 people detained, 39 for drugs and 18 for weapons; one staff member was assaulted.
Wairoa Court had 23 incidents and six people detained, five for drugs and one for weapons.
Waipukurau Court had one incident for weapons in 2025.
Dannevirke Court had 16 incidents and three people detained in 2025, two for drugs and one for weapons.
Booze, drugs, gang paraphernalia, spring knives, grinders, hatchets, scales and point bags, a rifle and ammunition were among items seized at the doors of the region’s courts that year.
This year, up to August 11, Napier Court staff found drugs at the security checkpoint eight times, drug paraphernalia 26 times, gang paraphernalia five times, alcohol four times, and stopped eight weapons, including an imitation firearm, fireworks, and a homemade shank or stabbing implement.
In the same period, Hastings Court staff found drugs at the security checkpoint four times, drug paraphernalia 19 times, including used needles, six weapons, alcohol five times and 39 pieces of gang paraphernalia entering the court.
Dannevirke staff stopped a knife, cannabis and a cannabis grinder from getting into court during this period, while Waipukurau staff stopped a cone piece for smoking cannabis and three cases of gang paraphernalia from entering the court.
Wairoa staff stopped knuckledusters and two bandanas with gang paraphernalia entering court during the same period.
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.