A toy gun, live ammunition, methamphetamine, knuckle dusters, nunchaku, three bags of cannabis and a small set of scales are just some of the things people going to court in Rotorua and Tauranga have tried to smuggle through the front door.

A Te Puke lawyer who works in the Tauranga courthouse said the blatant disregard for authority reflects the attitudes they are dealing with.

In contrast, Rotorua MP Todd McClay said it is time criminals and their supporters heading to court put on their best shirt and shined their shoes because the Government is cracking down on lawlessness.

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed an increase in security incidents in courts nationally, in particular relating to crimes of disorderly behaviour.

Information released under the Official Information Act has revealed the disturbing items security officers have confiscated from visitors to the Tauranga and Rotorua courthouses during the past year.

Between November 1 last year and October 31 this year, court security guards at Rotorua courthouse had to confiscate items — some of which were illegal — from 90 people. In Tauranga during the same period, items were confiscated from 50 people.

Defence lawyer David Pawson said going to court had become a routine rather than a “sense of occasion”.

“It has become normal and routine and some people don’t turn their mind and realise the courts are a place that should be a safe environment.”

Pawson said the public’s attitude to such places had declined in recent years.

“Most lawyers I talk to will say something has happened since Covid, whether it is attitudes towards authority, but there have been increases in hostility towards almost everyone involved in the court process, including lawyers.”

He said the courts weren’t alone and he had even seen a sign at a dental surgery recently that said “Please do not be hostile towards our staff, we are here to help”.

“People just seem to be generally anti-everything. People doing any kind of duty are generally finding it difficult.”

Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the items found by security officers were a sad reflection of the amount of crime around.

He said there was a clear message coming from the Government it would target bad behaviour.

“We are putting the rights of law-abiding citizens before those of criminals.”

He said anyone heading to court should check themselves.

“Clean your shoes, put on your best clothes and go along to court and ask for help. Don’t take weapons and drugs with you because it isn’t going to go well.”

The work of the security officers

Under the Courts Security Act 1999, court security officers have the power to act if they discover potentially dangerous items.

When screening the possessions of a court visitor, they can take into temporary custody any item that could potentially be a weapon and return it to the person when they leave.

If the item is deemed to be prohibited, the item will be seized and the person detained.

That matter is then handed to police.

Ministry of Justice national security operations director Peter Cowan said disorderly behaviour had increased across all counts in New Zealand during the past two years.

He said court security officers took a thorough approach to identifying individuals and situations that might pose security risks.

There are 17 court security officers in Rotorua, including two managers, and there are 18 in Tauranga, including two managers.

Cowan said he expected to see more gang members coming to courts in the coming months as a result of the Gangs Act 2024 that prohibited gang patches and insignia in public.

What’s the process of walking into the court?

Individuals pass through a walk-through metal detector.

If metal is detected, a hand-held metal detector is used to identify the cause.

If it needs further investigation, a localised pat-down search will be performed.

Property is screened using an X-ray machine and/or a hand-held metal detector to identify anything that requires further investigation.

If an item is still unable to be identified or is potentially of concern, the security officers will search further by hand.

What was confiscated at the Rotorua Courthouse - November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024

November 1: Kubotan (self-defence weapon)

November 28: Screwdriver

December 1: Methamphetamine pipe, 3 x point bags with residue

December 6: Small blade, point bag containing meth residue

December 7: Knife

December 13: Point bags (with methamphetamine residue), metal drug straw

December 13: Cannabis pipe

December 15: Cannabis

December 18: Kubotan

January 8: Knife, scissors with cannabis residue

January 17: Toy gun, toy ammo

January 17: Credit card knife

January 18: Cannabis, tobacco

January 19: Knuckle duster

January 19: Cannabis pipe

February 2: Kubotan

February 7: Scissors, cannabis

February 8: Knuckle duster

February 8: Drug paraphernalia (unspecified)

February 8: Nunchaku (martial arts weapon)

February 14: Key knife

February 23: Knuckle duster

February 27: Utility knife

February 29: Pocket knife with residue

March 4: Cannabis

March 6: Scissors, scales, pipe, point bags with residue

March 13: Cannabis grinder, cannabis, methamphetamine pipe

March 22: Razorblade

March 26: Credit card knife

March 26: Cannabis pipe with cannabis residue

April 9: Kitchen knife

April 10: Methamphetamine pipe

April 11: Oil (contains opioids)

April 15: Knuckle duster

April 18: Kubotan

April 18: Knuckle duster

April 22: Pocket knife, 2 butter knives (with residue), razor blades, cannabis

April 23: Cannabis grinder, cannabis pipe

April 26: Live ammunition

May 13: Methamphetamine pipe

May 21: Key knife

May 22: Kubotan

May 23: Cannabis

May 23: Cannabis

May 27: Knuckle duster

May 28: Hammer, cannabis

May 28: Cannabis pipe

June 5: Point bag containing methamphetamine

June 5: Knuckle duster

June 10: Key knife

June 10: Credit card knife, pocket knife, scissors

June 18: Cannabis residue, pills (unspecified)

June 19: Cannabis grinder

June 20: Kubotan

June 24: Kubotan

June 25: Cannabis grinder (with residue)

June 27: Kubotan

July 4: Cannabis pipe

July 8: Cannabis pipe

July 9: Cannabis pipe, cannabis

July 9: Kubotan

July 29: Scissors (with cannabis residue)

July 31: Drug paraphernalia (unspecified)

July 31: Air gun pellets

August 1: Drug utensils (unspecified)

August 7: Cannabis

August 8: Methamphetamine pipe

August 8: Knife

August 12: Key knife

August 13: Baton

August 14: Methamphetamine

August 14: Ammunition (shotgun shell)

August 22: Knife

August 23: Cannabis grinder

August 28: Cannabis pipe

September 2: Methamphetamine

September 6: Methamphetamine pipe

September 6: Knuckledusters

September 13: Methamphetamine

September 13: Key knife

September 25: Cannabis cone

Setember 26: Cannabis

October 2: Marijuana grinder

October 3: Key knife

October 3: Cannabis

October 9: Point bag, straw used for methamphetamine

October 10: Cannabis cones

October 17: Marijuana, seeds, cone

October 23: Methamphetamine pipe

October 31: Scissors with residue

What was confiscated at the Tauranga Courthouse - November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024

November 16: Methamphetamine pipe

November 23: Cannabis

November 24: Cannabis, lighter, tweezers

December 4: Credit card knife

December 15: Karambit (curved knife)

December 18: Bong, 2 knives

January 19: Cannabis pipe

February 1: Pipe

February 12: Lighter, cannabis pipe

March 1: Bong

March 14: Credit card knife

March 27: Bong, scissors, cone piece

April 5: Two knives, kubotan

April 8: Cannabis pipe

April 11: Cannabis, scales, scissors, point bags containing white crystals

April 17: Cannabis, thimble for drug use

May 2: Cone piece, 4 point bags, medium-sized point bag, 2 used needles

May 7: Key knife

May 22: Knuckle duster

May 30: Methamphetamine pipe

June 6: Cannabis

June 13: Folding knife

June 14: Key knife

June 17: Knife, methamphetamine pipe

June 18: Two methamphetamine pipes, 4 x point bags (with residue), straw

July 31: Credit card knife

July 16: Pipe

July 19: Pipe piece

September 2: Key knife

September 3: Cannabis grinder

September 12: Kubotan

September 13: Needles, empty point bags, straws for drug use, metal dish with residue

September 23: Cannabis grinder

September 23: Unidentified pills

September 23: Razor blade hidden inside metal item on key chain

September 26: Marijuana

October 3: Knuckledusters

October 7: Credit card knife

October 8: Cannabis grinder

October 8: Cannabis

October 14: Kubotan

October 14: Cannabis grinder

October 17: Marijuana, scissors with residue

October 17: Unidentified pills

October 17: Marijuana pipe

October 18: Three bags of cannabis, small set of scales

October 21: Cone piece, empty point bag

October 29: Marijuana pipe

October 30: Cannabis, cannabis pipe

Source: Ministry of Justice