An operational decision to arm frontline police staff with Tasers is being met with support from the majority of the community.
On Friday, police commissioner Mike Bush announced that frontline police response staff will be armed with Tasers.
The decision means they can be carried at all times by appropriately trained police ‘level one' response staff whose responsibilities and likelihood of risk supports having easier access to a Taser.
Such staff can currently access a Taser from a lockbox in frontline Police vehicles if required.
Approximately 5,500 staff are trained as level one responders. Read more here.
SunLive asked people in the community what they thought of the move.
Watch the video above to see what people said.
17 comments
No good me thinks?
Posted on 01-08-2015 17:40 | By Crash test dummies
The deployment of these to all officers will mean that the bad guys will do the same or more and forcing another round of upgrades. End result the NZ Police have auto guns and so does everyone else. Not a good trail to follow here.
Great Stuff
Posted on 01-08-2015 19:00 | By carpedeum
Our Police deserve everything that they possibly can have to keep them safe- They do such a terrific job of keeping US safe. Could not do what they do and stay sane. Really respect and value them all
Give-em Lead
Posted on 01-08-2015 20:14 | By FunandGames
The other option is lead, the police need something.
Wisechief
Posted on 02-08-2015 07:58 | By Wise Chief
Police State Soldiers have been, can & still do murder people, the guy in car at beach in Napier for instance. We have some 1350 odd killings mostly Maori since 1960 and yet not once did anyone of Police shooters lose their job after investigation via so called laughable Police Investigation Authority manned only by EX police. Unless this sorry farce which is rare imbalance towards fair justice is addressed quickly the use of tasers by 5500 Police State Soldiers will quickly kill many many people because of their high usage against what will be mostly Maori and Islanders by KNOWN overtly arrogant aggressive blue gods who KNOW THEY are exempt from charges of murder or manslaughter. This is not policing and certainly not justice by any stretch of the word. We have a psychopath in form of Greg O'connor running show who has a questionable record from 70's.R
Notso wisechief
Posted on 02-08-2015 09:04 | By Kenworthlogger
If you dont like it mate there are plenty of flights leaving the country. Why dont you get on one?.
They need them
Posted on 02-08-2015 14:05 | By fletch
If you are not doing anything wrong why would you worry about the Police having tasers.
Wow !
Posted on 02-08-2015 17:24 | By Jitter
You can't get more biased or anti police than Wise Chief. Like the rest of the population only a small percentage of the police are violent towards crims. Greg O'Connor is not running the police he is head of the police union and speaks out against the police when necessary. Wise Chief should check up to see how many Maori/Pacifica police have been involved in all of these fatal shootings. In many cases it has been a case of shoot or be killed. Has Wise Chief checked on the figures of police killed since 1960 ? It appears to be 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
With great power comes...
Posted on 02-08-2015 17:27 | By Conzar
Giving the police easy access to tasers will certainly increase the usage of tasers. Please see the police brutality that is occurring in the USA. If you want NZ to move to a police state, than you should defiantly be for arming the police. If you want to keep NZ as a more peaceful place where you don't need to fear the police and instead actually enjoy seeing them, keep the laws the way they are. Having their lethal and non-lethal measures locked in a box in their car and only taken out when required is proven to be more effective at keeping order. Having direct access to lethal and not so lethal (tasers) measures will only produce a police state ala USA.
fletch
Posted on 02-08-2015 20:51 | By The Master
The NZ Police will only be playing a game of catch up with the criminals, the more that arm themselves the more the criminals will also.
Conzar
Posted on 03-08-2015 08:04 | By Kenworthlogger
What a load of rubbish. You must be a bad person if you fear the police just looking at them. We should be protecting our police staff.
jaffa and wisechief
Posted on 03-08-2015 09:25 | By Easty
Jaffa, I read your comment and had a wee chuckle, if your premise is that if the NZ police arm themselves the criminals will too, you are a wee bit behind, because the criminals are already armed, just look at what was taken from the headhunters recently. If you expect our police to go against well armed criminals with anything less than a tazer you should volunteer to be a police officer yourself. And wisechief, your stats of 1350 odd killings makes it sound like there has been death squads operating, your paranoia needs to be examined. between 1941 and 2008 there were 22 people shot and killed by police officers, but there were also 22 police officers killed by violent criminals. The NZ police state soldiers only exist in your head, and perhaps you should rethink about what you are smoking.
Kenworthlogger
Posted on 03-08-2015 10:08 | By Conzar
Logical Fallacies. In the USA, I do fear the police because if they are having a bad day, you can easily get tased. Please see the countless Youtube videos for evidence. As for NZ police, I actually like them and enjoy their presence ATM. I think NZ police officers are generally nice and friendly to the public. I want to keep it that way. I do not want NZ police turning into USA Police.
Spot On
Posted on 03-08-2015 12:54 | By Jitter
Easty is spot with his figures covering the deaths of both crims and police officers from 1941 onwards. Wisechief's figures are ridiculous and have just been plucked out of thin air.
Conzar
Posted on 03-08-2015 15:53 | By Kenworthlogger
Again total rubbish. If you are not doing anything wrong the police will not have any business with you. Even if they did all you have to do is follow their commands and no taser. Its only people that resist arrest that get tasered. Notice in ALL youtube videos the people are not doing as they are told. That is why you would get tasered. FOLLOW POLICE DIRECTIONS. GOT IT CONZAR?
precursor
Posted on 04-08-2015 07:48 | By JayR
this is the first step towards arming the police with handguns.
Tasers-guns
Posted on 04-08-2015 13:15 | By Feruno
Police should be allowed to carry Tasers, and firearms where necessary . Gangs have weapon arsenals with which to terrorize Citizens who may not defend themselves, so until the gangs are under control, guns are needed . Law abiding Citizens did not instigate Tasers, gangs and criminals did . Police need to be held accountable when these are used .
Arm the Police
Posted on 04-08-2015 16:52 | By Kenworthlogger
They sholud be carrying around Glocks and have a bushmaster ready in every car!!!
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