New rifles, pistols, and hundreds of extra Tasers are on their way to frontline police staff.
On Friday, Police Commissioner Mike Bush announced a major rollout of extra equipment for frontline staff, with a good portion to be delivered to cops in the next three weeks.
"As Commissioner, my job is to ensure we do everything we can keep our frontline staff safe," Bush said.
He said that on visits to police districts since the Christchurch terror attacks, he had been discussing with leadership teams and frontline staff about they needed.
While he found staff were "generally satisfied" with their level of equipment, Bush said there was still more to do to improve capacity.
The rollout includes:
- 179 extra tactical sets - comprising of hard armour plates, Bushmaster rifles, and Glock pistols - will be delivered this financial year, while another 482 will roll out next year.
- 517 extra Tasers this year
- 387 extra weapons for specialist groups
There will also be a 50 percent increase in live fire training and a 50 percent increase in simulation training. The rollout of extra body armour will also be accelerated to be completed by June 2021, a year early.
Many of the Tasers and tactical sets will be delivered by the end of the month.
Newshub.
