ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Wellington Police Officer on Tactical Response Teams: 'If my life was in danger I would go for a firearm'

Publish Date
Thu, 23 Sep 2021, 2:34PM
Photo / File
Photo / File

Wellington Police Officer on Tactical Response Teams: 'If my life was in danger I would go for a firearm'

Publish Date
Thu, 23 Sep 2021, 2:34PM

Police are scaling up firearms training and will create a new tactical response team in response to increasing violence against officers.

More police will have armed offender squad training following a $45 million Government investment in frontline officers' safety.

They will be rostered on to double-crew dog handler teams and bolster planned operations to arrest high-risk offenders and combat organised crime.

The Police Commissioner says the death of Constable Matthew Hunt was the driving force for a complete rethink of frontline safety.

But one police officer told Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills it's a good step but would likely not have saved Matthew. 

He says were his life in danger he would want to be armed with a firearm. 

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you