Armed Police

Kia Ora,

This morning there is a poll out saying most New Zealanders want our police to remain unarmed apart from AOS (Armed Offenders Squad - Like SWAT).

This shows the lack of understanding of what police & security face each day on the streets. Not to mention the people who are against having the tasers issued to police. A taser is a lot less lethal than a firearm.

So if we have only the AOS armed regularly then they have to stop being general duty (normal policing who respond to AOS callouts when required) & basically have a fully armed squad ready at all times. At present it takes too long for them to assemble, arm up, get briefing then deploy. In the meantime unarmed police, security & members of the public have to deal with the offenders. As Christchurch police recently said virtually every person they arrest these days has at least a knife on them.

This then calls into question as to whether security should be armed. Security in NZ was armed until 1974, but weapons were always out of sight or kept low key. No need to change that policy.

True I wouldn't arm (& to many of those in the industry's credit they don't want to be armed) 99% of those currently in the industry with a ball point pen, but a small percentage who have either had the training (I.E. military) or are prepared to be trained do need to be armed.

Weapons? Well consideration needs to be given here. Despite what you see in the movies pistols are never that accurate without a hell of a lot of training & I see the NZ police are going to push the glock pistol aside to make M4 the main weapon carried. More accurate with less training, so less chance of 'collatoral' damage, though even there I would question choice of weapon in many cases.

Then you have to consider the tourist. On more than one occassion I have being told whilst overseas they thought NZ looked great, heard nice things about it, but it was too dangerous as police (& security) were not armed. Tourism is one of our biggest earners of currency & we could ensure by carriage of weapons in a discreet fashion that more feel welcome.