A spate of recent gun crimes has prompted calls for police officers to be armed at all times.
NZPA president Greg O'Connor describes the measures as 'inevitable” and 'necessary” in the wake of increased armed offender incidents.
Police Minister Michael Woodhouse is being called on to arm police full-time.
'The Police Association Conference in 2010 called for the general arming of police,” says Greg.
'Since then, firearms have been placed in frontline police vehicles, and that has certainly been an improvement.
'However, there has been no such improvement in the number of armed offender incidents. As recent cases in Waitakere and Otara have shown, firearms locked in vehicles are still too far away to provide police and public the protection they need.”
Greg says new minister Michael Woodhouse gave his view that police do not need to be armed on TVNZ this week, while standing on the forecourt of parliament.
'The dark irony,” he adds, 'was that the interview followed immediately after breaking news of a gunman running amok in the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.
'Police in that country are armed and were able to respond immediately. That would not be the case here.
'Sadly, we have reached the point where crime in New Zealand, as well as international trends to which are not immune, make arming police not only inevitable, but necessary.”
Labour's Associate Police spokesperson Kelvin Davies says tere is no justification for routinely arming our police and doing so would change forever the way officers interact with their communities.
"As one of the few organisations distinguished by its unarmed status, our police do an incredible job.An unarmed police force sends a strong symbolic message that the police trust the public, and in turn that results in New Zealanders trusting the police.
'There have been repeated calls for officers to carry guns and there is an obvious need to weight up safety concerns with putting police at risk.
'On the other hand there is no strong evidence to show that the public, or police, are safer if officers are armed. In fact arming police can have the opposite effect - with weapons being used against police or the public if they fall into the wrong hands, and escalating conflicts.
'As someone with a brother in the police force I am acutely aware of the need to balance the safety of both police and the public," says Kelvin.
17 comments
Crime is down.
Posted on 24-10-2014 11:36 | By GreertonCynic
The DPS are armed at Parliament. Next argument Greg.
Arm the poilce
Posted on 24-10-2014 12:16 | By dookie
I agree the police should be armed and able to protect themselves from these thugs. Everyday citizens have nothing to worry about if you've done nothing wrong.
Yeah right
Posted on 24-10-2014 12:58 | By YOGI BEAR
Like kids in a lolly shop. NZ Police have guns so the crims get bigger guns, the NZ Police get bullet proof vest, the crims then use armour piecing bullets .... this little circular circus will just keep going, in the end everyone will have a tank and be taking pot shots at each other, a bit like the US already.
walking the beat
Posted on 24-10-2014 13:49 | By rotovend
Im not sure if it would help the police much but in saying that they are armed all the time in Oz but they also seem to be out walking the beat more especially around shopping areas and interacting with the general public I think thats a good thing.
A strong message
Posted on 24-10-2014 17:43 | By Fonzie
from the courts that police are untouchable is necessary here in NZ Too many police are being assaulted only to receive light sentences from judges Police need protection in order to carry out their duties if the courts won't give it then firearms are inevitable mores the pity
Remember Ferguson
Posted on 24-10-2014 18:10 | By Conzar
The fastest way to turn NZ into a police state (ala USA), is to arm police.
Not a popular stand...
Posted on 24-10-2014 19:03 | By theschizzle
but I agree with O'Connor (this time anyway, he's an idiot most days of the week). Too easy to target them, and the sentencing isn't harsh enough when it does happen. The crims already have a great selection of guns so arming police won't make any difference to them. Might as well give these guys a fighting chance, I reckon.
@ Dookie
Posted on 25-10-2014 09:54 | By GreertonCynic
Don't go anywhere near Ferguson,mate. The "I've done nothing wrong" excuse is a cop out.
Gun Culture
Posted on 25-10-2014 11:15 | By GreertonCynic
How many steps to this: http://www.smh.com.au/world/school-district-allows-students-to-pose-with-guns-20141025-11blw6.html
Childhood's end
Posted on 25-10-2014 11:32 | By morepork
Police DO need to be armed. It is regrettable and it marks the end of the "age of innocence" for us. With the threats that are now pending against us, (ISIL, increase in armed thuggery, events in Canada and Australia, the sad list is too long...),it is very wrong to put our cops on the front line unprotected. There was a time when it made sense NOT to arm police, but that time is over. The argument about a cycle of escalation between the Police and the criminals is fallacious; miscreants who feel empowered by a weapon are already acquiring guns. And it is only a matter of time before citizens who feel insecure in their homes do so too. (whether it is legal or not). There WILL be terrorist attacks here, it is inevitable. We can't expect police to run to the car for a weapon...
Photographic evidence.
Posted on 25-10-2014 12:57 | By GreertonCynic
The cop above doesn't have to run far. And they have the paramilitary AOS to call upon, given some notice. ISIL? Really? You do know the weapon confiscated in the Australian raids was a plastic sword, right?
@GreertonCynic
Posted on 25-10-2014 15:29 | By dookie
I don't hang around parks at odd hours looking suspicious, so I guess I still have nothing to worry about.
Why Worry, You've Done Nothing
Posted on 25-10-2014 15:50 | By GreertonCynic
Just like the courier driver on the Auckland motorway. Not a park. Not at night.
@GreertonCynic
Posted on 26-10-2014 12:37 | By morepork
The cop in the photo is probably AOS. Sadly, we are at the point now where ALL cops need to be armed. The plastic sword was amongst a great deal of ISIL propaganda, including videos, flags and literature, including online threats to kill the PM, and you conveniently forget that a couple of weeks previously, 2 cops were stabbed while meeting with a kid with ISIL sympathies, who one of them managed to shoot dead as he fled. Who knows what he would have done if he hadn't been stopped? ISIL May seem remote to you but there are disaffected young people all over the world who see it as heroic and it is only a matter of time before some of them are found to be Kiwis... We need to be prepared for Terrorism; emotionally, mentally, and physically. It is coming. Armed, trained cops are a necessity.
Police & guns!
Posted on 27-10-2014 10:04 | By don archer
I live here and the USA. It took me a while to get use to police walking around with guns on their belts, but one does get use to it. By the way, when are the press & particularly an MPs going to realise that the word'FORCE' was dropped from the Police 60years ago! Yes, 60 years ago! The Don
@ Morepork
Posted on 30-10-2014 09:45 | By YOGI BEAR
The idea of arming cops is bad in itself. However this reflects a general loss of social quality of life and a drop in behaviour, respect for others and so on.
@Yogi Bear
Posted on 01-11-2014 10:46 | By morepork
I agree there has been a general deterioration (over years) in respect for each other and that is reflected in the absence of manners and courtesy and increasing crimes against people and property. But that is pretty normal and reflects a changing society. (I don't like it, but there are still a lot of good people around and I see kindness every day...) Arming cops is much more serious. We are facing something that is a world-wide trend and we cannot bury our heads in the sand and say: "It won't happen here." The indications are not only that it CAN, but it probably WILL... We need to make sure we are prepared emotionally and mentally as a population, and that our cops are trained and equipped to protect themselves and us. The world has changed and our innocence is fading. We need to be ready.
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