Police Commissioner Andrew Coster today defended police actions in allowing some communities to set up checkpoints over the past four weeks.
Many communities and people were feeling "vulnerable" and "fearful" early on, he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, and had set up checkpoints to enhance safety.
He indicated police would continue to allow these to happen, albeit under the watchful eye of officers.
But Hosking pointed out that average "Bob" couldn't stop people such as essential workers, and that it was the police job to set up checkpoints, not the public's.
Coster said: "We need to make sure people have the freedom to move as they are entitled to. The checkpoints haven't been stopping permissive movement under the controls. We have been careful to make sure they are set up in a way that's appropriate.
"We need to normalise this by ensuring there is a police presence at locations where there is a community determined to continue.
"We absolutely understand the particular vulnerabilities that different communities have been feeling. We don't believe that risk exists in the same way now. We will be working with them."
He denied police were being soft.
He said level 3 would still not be the time to be "tiki touring" around the country.
"We are hopeful that people will keep doing the right thing which is stay home and stay local."
Just 0.1 per cent of the population had been prosecuted.
"I am pretty proud of the way New Zealanders have responded."
There had been 4452 lockdown breaches since the lockdown began, 423 in the past day, Coster said on Thursday.
And as the country entered its final week of level 4 living, there have been increased reports of people popping their bubbles, gathering in public areas and not obeying physical distancing rules.
Coster warned Kiwis not to get complacent over Anzac weekend and said police would be out in force on the roads and in holiday hotspots.
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