Page 16 - Top Cover Issue 18

16 TOP COVER SUMMER 2023

WHEN A TRIAL BECOMES A TRIAL

Former Met DC Emma Owens, now a New Zealand resident, explores some

of the challenges around New Zealand Police’s firearms model

I am writing this from New Zealand Ardern received global praise for farm animals, it would be fair to say
– you may have heard of it? We’re her compassionate handling of the that NZ still has many virtues.
the two small islands tucked away aftermath of the attack; meanwhile, It is a beautiful country with
in the corner of the world that New Zealand as a country mourned stunning natural beauty, has vast
usually doesn’t make much of a the devastation deeply. Nothing of expanses of empty sandy beaches,
splash internationally and ticks along that scale had ever taken place on turquoise clear waters, and a reasonable
reasonably well. We’re famous for a NZ shores before and it’s fair to say it climate (providing you don’t choose
rather good rugby team, and for its shocked everybody here to their core. to live right down the bottom of
accent that makes it unendingly funny The shooting prompted a fast- the South Island, which is closer to
to say the word “deck’’. time governmental review of firearm Antarctica than is advisable). Sure,
Such was the global position for licensing and a weapons amnesty for it rains a lot, but this just fills up the
NZ until 15th March 2019 when anybody who had a semi-automatic waterfalls and keeps the greenery
a lone shooter opened fire during shotgun lying about their homes looking fresh.
prayer time in the main mosque in the (there were a lot!). It also prompted
city of Christchurch, and at a nearby NZ Police to look at its provision for Authorised to carry firearms
Islamic centre, injuring 40 and killing responding to mass shooting incidents. Yet, despite it being a quiet corner
51 people before being arrested by Notwithstanding that there are a of the world with relatively low
police close to the scene. The attack lot of farmers living rurally here who
crime rates, its police officers are all
was declared an act of domestic apparently had weapons that would not authorised to carry firearms. This
terrorism and immediately turned have been out of place in an armoury may come as a surprise to some, as
the eyes of the world upon the newly in Afghanistan to deal with possums
NZ Police is commonly perceived to
elected Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern (a pest here in NZ, unlike in Australia
be an unarmed service like the UK.
and her government. where they are a protected species) and
However, the truth is that every officer
who leaves police training college in
Wellington after their 16 weeks of
initial training has been taught how to
use a firearm.
In practice, weapons are generally
kept at the stations, or in the boot
of one of the Senior Constables’ or
Sergeants’ vehicles on patrol and
are readily accessible should the
situation arise for their use. The
NZ Police website describes its
service as “essentially an unarmed
service” and this may sound entirely
sensible until you consider the
Picture © Darrenp / Shutterstock journey times and then add on the
distances between vehicles, road
time it would take for deployment.
At which point it becomes more
of a comparison to county services in

sometimes hinder firearm deployment
Tributes placed at the Botanical Gardens after the Christchurch terror attack the UK, where distance and time can
to scenes in situations of emergency.
WWW.PFOA.CO.UK