National today increased their pressure on the Police Commissioner over community run checkpoints.

Speaking at the Epidemic Response Committee, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said that Police had worked with communities which implemented their own roadblocks to make sure they were legal.

They'd discouraged community checkpoints, but represented communities that were fearful.

As communities came to understand the threat was diminishing, the community checkpoints were easing.

National Party leader Simon Bridges said those checkpoints were illegal and claimed police had turned a blind eye and condoned the checkpoints by adding their presence.

Coster completely rejected this. He said they'd not turned a blind eye and had come alongside the community checkpoints to work with them to ensure they were legal.

He said they were communities that were very fearful and felt vulnerable and police were using their power with discretion by having a small police presence at the checkpoints.

If they tried to shut the checkpoints down there could have been protests which would require a larger police presence.

Coster said he felt their approach had been the right call, but the checkpoints should be stopped at alert level 2.

Coster said he'd not had any influence from ministers or Government about the checkpoints.

The only minister he'd spoken with was Police Minister Stuart Nash and that was to brief him on police operations.

Police were entitled under the Health Act and the Civil Defence Management Act to use their powers under alert level 3.

Coster was asked about self-isolation monitoring but said he'd have to come back to the committee with detail about visits and breaches.