Poll: DO WE NEED ARMED POLICE IN SPECIAL VEHICLES TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE?
Special police patrol vehicles carrying armed officers will start patrolling Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury as part of a six-month trial to cut down response times to serious incidents involving firearms.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush made the announcement in Manukau, Auckland yesterday morning.
The so-called armed response teams would be made up of police staff who are part of the armed offenders squad.
The armed offenders squad is normally on-call 24/7, but for the trial they would be routinely armed, equipped, mobile and ready to go to any events or incidents where they are needed, Mr Bush said.
Such teams were a standard feature of policing internationally, he said.
"The Police's mission is that New Zealand is the safest country. Following the events of March 15 in Christchurch, our operating environment has changed," Mr Bush said.
"The threat level remains at medium and we are continuously reviewing our tools, training, and capabilities we use to provide Policing services to ensure we remain fit for purpose."
The armed response teams would consist of a minimum of three specialist armed offenders squad personnel.
At times, they may be supported by additional staff, like specialist dog units.
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73.5% Yes, it's long overdue
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14.9% No
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3.7% Just a waste of money
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7.4% Don't know
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0.5% Don't care
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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0% Yes! New Year, New Me
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33.3% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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66.7% Nah - not for me
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From rugged campsite to 7.5ha resort
Grant Kilby has always loved camping. His mum was director of health at the YMCA, and he would attend YMCA camps in the school holidays. “I think it was mandatory that I was there,” he jokes.
He went on camping holidays with his parents, and later, took his own kids.
“Camping’s been in my blood.”
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