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.