Wellington, June 12, 2020
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announced on Tuesday (June 9, 2020) that Armed Response Teams will not be part of the New Zealand policing model in the future.
A trial of the teams of Police carrying firearms were launched in Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury last year and ended in April.
Renewed Opposition
In recent days, mass protests across New Zealand against police brutality – sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd in the US – have renewed opposition to armed police and the response teams specifically.
Commissioner Coster said that the decision to scrap the teams was based on preliminary findings from the trial evaluation – which is yet to be completed – feedback from the public, and consultation with community forum groups.
“It is clear to me that these response teams do not align with the style of policing that New Zealanders expect. We have listened carefully to that feedback and I have made the decision these teams will not be a part of our policing model in the future. As part of this, I want to reiterate that am committed to New Zealand Police remaining a generally unarmed police service,” he said.
Valued Relationships
He said that the Police valued their relationships with the various communities they served, and this meant working with them to find solutions that worked for both.
“How the public feels is important – we police with the consent of the public, and that is a privilege.”
The trial aimed to have specialist Police personnel ready to deploy and support frontline staff in critical or high risk incidents, Coster said.
“We can only keep New Zealanders safe if we can keep our staff safe too. That is why, Police have invested in the new body armour system, we have strengthened training, and given our officers more tools and tactical options,” Commissioner Coster said.
Tactical capability
Police were looking into “broad tactical capability” to ensure critical response options remained fit for purpose, he said.
“We will still complete the evaluation into ARTs and that will now inform the wider tactical capability work programme,” Commissioner Coster said.
Any further options arising from this would undergo consultation with communities, Coster said.
There had been widespread opposition to the trials, including a Waitangi Tribunal claim being filed by justice advocates arguing the Crown breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi by failing to work in partnership with, consult, or even inform Māori about the trial.
Public sentiments
Last week, Labour Māori Caucus said they had met with Police Minister Stuart Nash and made their views opposing the general arming of the police force very clear.
“While the decision to deploy the ART trial was independently made by the then commissioner of police, and not a government initiative, we as a caucus acknowledge the general feeling of lack of consultation about the trial that exists – especially within Māori,” Labour Māori Caucus Co-Chair Willie Jackson said.
A survey on the ARTs found 85% of participants did not support the trial.
Justice Reform advocate Laura O’Connell Rapira said that 91% of people surveyed were less likely to call the Police in family violence situations if they knew the police had guns.
New Zealand Police Association President Chris Cahill said that while he understood the Commissioner’s decision, it was disappointing that the positives of the ARTs were now gone.
Lack of consultation alleged
“The initiative was hobbled from the start because of a lack of consultation on the concept of ARTs, and no clear communication on the aim of the trials. The concept was to provide safer and wider tactical options to deploy to our most at-risk communities,” Mr Cahill said.
“If you don’t build solid foundations on issues as potentially volatile as armed police, you can’t possibly hope to take the community with you, and that is exactly what has happened in this case,” he said and added that the unveiled ARTs’ vehicles made them look “pretty sinister,” even though everyday Police patrol cars also contained Glock pistols and rifles.
The Association’s members were supportive of having the ability to deploy armed and experienced officers to critical incidents quickly and efficiently, he said.
The Association was asking for plans to address the communities that were still at risk, such as those with high gun crime rates, Mr Cahill said.
“I also ask those who have argued passionately against ARTs to now work equally as passionately with Police to expose and reject the proliferation of illegal firearms in the communities most at risk,” he said.
