Police Chief open to arming discussion

Claudette Hauiti Police Chief open to arming discussion

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New Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says he’s open to discussing with frontline officers whether they should be armed.

The Police Association has long advocated for the routine arming of officers.

A 2023 survey conducted by the union showed 68 percent of staff supported the move.

Chambers recently returned from a stint as Director of Organised and Emerging Crime for INTERPOL in France.

He says he doesn’t want to see Aotearoa New Zealand Police follow the path of other heavily armed countries.

“I don’t want to live in a country where, as a citizen, police need to be routinely armed. I mean, we’re better than that, but I’m open to the conversation, because the reality is, policing is getting more volatile. It is more complicated. Our frontline staff are dealing with situations that are really confronting,” says Chambers.

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