Two teenage girls were attacked and robbed on a bus in the Auckland suburb of St Heliers last week.
The girls boarded the bus on West Tamaki Rd near the intersection with St Heliers Bay Rd at around 1pm on August 17.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill said a group of young males and females made demands for property from the two victims.
“Both victims were assaulted, one of which sustained bruising to her face.”
Darvill said police located and spoke to a group of young people following the “aggravated robbery”.
He added that police were following “positive lines of inquiry”.
Tāmaki MP Brooke van Velden said in a post to her Facebook page that her thoughts were with the young women attacked on Saturday.
“These attacks have no place in our society.”
An Auckland Transport spokesperson said it was aware of the incident and that it understood the bus operator had provided footage to police.
They said they were “sorry to hear about this horrible incident”.
Buses are fitted with CCTV, GPS and panic buttons that record sound and are connected directly to the bus depot who can respond and guide emergency services, the spokeperson said.
Drivers had also been trained to de-escalate as part of their induction and are advised to not get into confrontational situations.
The spokesperson said AT continues to collaborate with operators and unions on initiatives and campaigns to improve safety.
“Anti-social behaviour is a societal issue, so we do require everyone’s help — whether it’s police, community groups or members of the public who can report anything they see.”
Transport officers are also deployed by AT to transport hubs and routes known as “hot spots”, with nine new staff recently recruited.
“Transport officers are vital to ensuring safety on buses, trains and ferries, and the new recruits are really enjoying positive interactions out on the transport network.
“They are warranted to give out tickets for fare evasion, but they are also there to help keep everyone safe and are well trained to do this.”
