Page 18 - Top Cover Issue 18

18 TOP COVER SUMMER 2023

now a need for ARTs across NZ. These demented person, or typing frantically Let me explain. When I joined the
forums usually appear following tragic on various social media sites – that Met in 1995 and went to Charing
incidents where firearms are used. this was not the case. Readers will be Cross Station I watched as the ARV
When these questions about unsurprised to hear both actions were officers would come into the canteen
specialist armed units start to appear, entirely fruitless, mostly ignored, and for their refs, usually in groups of three,
they generally prompt a resounding prompted some abusive responses. or sometimes they would gather in
and almost unanimous negative I was a Fed Rep for the Directorate larger groups causing us all to wonder
response from the New Zealand of Professional Standards in the what was happening, where, and why?
populous on social media, the majority Metropolitan Police Service for 10 What was noticeable about these
of whom are generally blissfully years, I can take abuse on the chin, but officers was their quiet presence.
unaware that their police service is I remain dismayed as to the dismissal Unlike the TSG who also came
already trained to use firearms, nor
apparently that the average farmer It is their dedication to train and maintain their
down the road from their home
probably has an arsenal of illegal “ skills to a standard that means they are fully
weapons within arm’s reach. competent and confident to use those weapons
I was stunned to read opinion pieces
from all over the country stating, if needed in situations so grave life is at stake.
“police have never been armed and do
not need to be”, to which on countless
of police officer’s lives as some form of regularly into the canteen and
occasions I responded – either by
collateral to avoid ART provision. were not quiet nor unassuming (no
shouting at the television in manner of
That’s not to say NZ police has no offence to anybody who served on
specialist firearms officers. The Armed those units, but you know you were
Offender Squad (AOS) is made up of neither!). Throughout my service,
volunteers from across the service who and with alarming regularity, ARVs
train regularly throughout the year were called to incidents and when
and are part-time only. The NZ Police they arrived, they brought with them
website states: “There are 17 AOS a sense of calm and sense. It was
units made up of nearly 300 members.” not a hierarchical thing, but their
In terms of resourcing these squads professionalism and experience was
are taking officers away from the something that we deferred to. In
frontline and other essential units and other words, they knew what they were
being deployed to help where needed doing, and we were grateful.
both for immediate and pre-planned This is not supposition or wishful
operations. This is with firearms hindsight on my part; these feelings
incidents becoming more frequent are supported by data obtained from
across the country. One news outlet the NZ ART trial. NZ Police officers
in NZ (www. newshub.co.nz) reported reported feeling supported, being given
a 32% increase in gun-related violent a sense of mentorship and guidance
crime since March 2020, quoting a that they had not previously had prior
to the trial.
49% increase to gun-related injuries in
Picture © ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock the answer? that there was also a notable decrease
the Auckland area alone. So, what is
Not only that, the survey reported
in stress and anxiety for both ART
Quiet presence
members as well as frontline staff. In
my view, these things alone should
I firmly believe that a full-time
provide the basis for NZ Police to
specialist, well-trained, and dedicated
And now a disclaimer: I do not like
method to deal with armed incidents.
firearms, I don’t understand them,
I base this upon the simple reason that
NZ Police officers reported feeling armed responder unit is a far better organise another longer trial.
supported, being given a sense of I am entirely grateful for those who and they scare me. The closest I have
mentorship and guidance during the volunteer to do that job, meaning that come to using anything remotely close
Armed Response Team trial. I never had to. is a family Nerf war, during which
WWW.PFOA.CO.UK